All This Time
by Hallow.Bird
Summary: There are stories that stretch across the universe all telling the tale of one man. A good, mad man who travels through time and space in his big blue box with a few companions he picked up along the way. I was never supposed to be one of those companions. And now the story's different. Now it's the story of my life with the Doctor that was never supposed to be. Developing 10/OC.
1. Prologue: Once Upon A Time

**All This Time  
**By: Hallow Bird

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**Author's Notes: **Hello! Okay, so recently I have officially fallen victim to the amazing tv show Doctor Who. My head has been swimming in ideas for a fanfiction about this show. I have been working on this for a while now, and just recently have gotten my ideas in order to begin posting it. So, here's a bunch of information so you know exactly what you're getting into. This story begins right at the beginning of season three in Smith and Jones and stays fairly close to canon, while including my AU addition of my OC. As the story unfolds, more and more details change because of my OC's presence. The story includes a slowly building relationship/romance between the Doctor and OC. If you hate poor original characters, you are in good company and won't find one here (hopefully, anyways, considering how much time I've spent solely on my OC's character to make her as real as possible). Though at first you may wonder, because there are a lot of unanswered questions about my OC but please rest assured...I reveal the answers gradually (very gradually, seriously, some mysterious from the very beginning don't get resolved till season 6) as I build the story and as more is revealed about my OC's character, background, etc.

**Rating:** Rated T— mostly for colorful language, some violence and some sexual content.  
**Disclaimer:** Doctor Who and all of the characters therein do not belong to me. But my original ideas and character do.  
**Spoilers/Warnings:** Spoilers for all seasons. Set 3x1 and onward. Slight AU. Story includes drama, oh be prepared for the water works in later chapters- mystery wrapped in an enigma and squeezed into a pair of tight jeans - humor, mostly at the expense of a blushing Doctor - slow romantic build between the Doctor and an OC, seriously it will get frustrating by how long it takes the two idiots to get together - companions meddling into the Doctor's love life - and longer chapters as the story progresses. Strap in for the long haul because I have this series planned through season six currently.  
**Pairings:** Eventual Doctor/OC with some minor Doctor/Rose and one-sided Doctor/Martha, and any other pairing I deice to throw in.

PS: go check out my tumblr (link on profile) where you can see pictures of my OC as I envision her (played by Lyndsy Fornseca), episode covers, gifsets, as well as other stuff from the fic. It might eventually contain some spoilers for the story and the show though, so please be forewarned.

Readers, I hope you enjoy the story that follows. Please read and review; I love to hear from you. And now, onto the story…

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**Prologue:**

**Once Upon a Time**

_A story has its purpose and its path. It must be told correctly for it to be understood.  
- _Marcus Sedgwick

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_Once upon a time..._

Four very simple words. Apart they could mean anything, but together they form the beginning.

But the beginning of what?

Well, usually the beginning of a story.

I love stories, always have ever since I was a little girl. A long, _long_ time ago my mother would read me such wonderful tales of far away, mythical places and beautiful princesses waiting for their knight in shinning armor or prince charming to come for them. These were the stories I would always listen to with attentive ears, trying to memorize their legends. Every night, after my mother had finished my bed time stories and tucked me in, I would slip from under the covers and with soft feet, travel to the large window of my room. For hours I would look up into the sky, mesmerized by the glittering stars that hung from the canvas that made up the night.

It was amazing to think of what laid beyond those shinning gems. What fairy tale worlds were out there, just waiting for me to explore. Worlds where I could find my own knight in shining. After I found him I would have a happily ever after, I had then believed.

Just like in those stories.

As I grew older, I continued to hear stories, though they were much different from the classic childish fairy tales of my youth. Although one story that had drifted throughout all the galaxies stood out in particular to me. It told the tale of a mad man in a big blue box. How this man could travel all throughout time and space with a simple press of a button. How he always helped people, saving them and making them better. How he would sometimes have companions with him that he picked up along the way, whom he showed the wonders of the universe to.

I was _never_ supposed to be one of those companions.

I was _supposed_ to be only a listening ear on this tale, never to actually be there to witness it.

Yet it is said that time could be rewritten.

And someone had decided to re-write it.

Because of this decision made by some outside force that had chosen to screw with my fate, my childhood dream of being in a fairytale came true. I was thrust into a world of wonder and amazement where the laws of the universe had no form and the impossible became possible. It was very thing I had dreamed of as a child.

Though only my younger self would have never of thought of the things I had to experience, of the things I had to face for in my childhood naïvety, I had completely forgotten another element to the stories. I had forgotten the fact that wherever there is light, there is also the darkness and the things that lurk within it and sometimes within ourselves. Things that make you shiver and quake in fear. Things that bring destruction and pain. Things that go bump in the night.

_Monsters_.

The cosmos are full of them, and there is one knight stolen right from the pages of my story books that fights them and protects the innocent.

But, this time instead of listening, I will be telling the story because his story is now mine and quite different from what it should have been.

It is now a story of how I fought those monsters, or at lest tried to.

How I found my knight in shinning armor.

How I lived, loved, and died with the man no one knows the true name of.

This is the story of my life with the Doctor that was never supposed to have been.

Shall we start at the beginning?

_Once upon a time..._

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_**Okay, so there's the prologue to kick things off. Since it's so short and more like a tease, I will be posting the first chapter in only a few more days instead of waiting a week. So, I hoped you enjoyed reading it. Please leave a review telling me what you thought. Feedback would be wonderful and very much-loved.**_


	2. Smith & Jones: Open Eyes

**The Yoshinator: That's good. ;) I certainly have plans to continue this story. It's been stuck in my head for months. I'm glad I've finally gotten the chance to post it.**

**Shadow Realm Triforce: Thanks! **

**OnceadiaryintheTARDIS: I'm glad you liked it! Thankfully there is not much of a wait for this chapter.**

**Weisse-Lilie: Thank you. It's good to know that you enjoyed my writing style.**

**Red-Butterfly4Cat: Good. Luckily, you don't have to wait long for the first chapter.**

**rosesxBubblegum: I'm really excited about this ****story too! It's been in my head for a while, so it's exciting for me to finally see it posted. Well. the not much of a wait is over! ;) Already you love it? Great, I hope you continued to enjoy.**

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**Chapter 1**

**Smith and Jones:  
****Open Eyes**

_Walking in dreams, asleep but still awake. _  
- Wuthering Heights

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The Doctor struggled slightly to keep the smile from stretching across his face at the human in front of him.

Martha.

Martha Jones, she had been called earlier. The doctor in training that had not utter a cry of surprise or did anything when she had heard his two heartbeats in a check-up, when it obviously meant that either something was seriously wrong with him, or he was something completely different from ordinary humans.

Or maybe even both.

Now she was the only one relatively calm, thinking properly while the rest of the humans screamed and panicked about the fact that the hospital had been suddenly whisked away by an odd storm with rain that rose instead of fell and now sat upon the moon, so far away from where it should be.

_Humans truly are amazing_, the Doctor thought, struggling to hold back a small smile. They made sense out of chaos in a beautiful way by just living through their lives that were so short and tiny compared to other races that existed in the universe. They held such indomitable and daring spirit. It would be humans whom would travel all the way across space, flying off in a tiny little rocket across the unknown of space, just for the sake of discovery. _Amazing_.

He, by his old age now, had witnessed all the great triumphs humans could accomplish. Unfortunately he'd also seen how they also possessed the potential for amazing cruelty as well.

"Fancy going out," the Doctor asked almost as if it was a causal conversation he would have everyday. _'Ello I just met you but do you want to leave a hospital that has suddenly appeared on the moon and into the low oxygen atmosphere where you might die? _Well, most definitely not the **weirdest **conversation he'd had but close enough.

"Okay," Martha replied without hesitation.

"We might die," he warned, although he truly doubted it. Like she had stated before the air would have already been sucked out, so there must have been something keeping it locked inside. _A force field or something like it,_ he mused.

"We might not," she countered.

"Good!" He replied with a small smile. "Come on! Not her, she'd hold us up," he stated, pointing at the girl who stood next to Martha in near hysterics. And then, like he'd done most of his life, he ran, right out of the room.

As the Doctor left, Martha looked back at her friend and fellow trainee in the medical field. She looked pathetic. Tears streamed down her blotchy face as she choked out sobs, clearly on the verge of losing it.

_Stay here with her frenzied friend or discover what is truly happening with the odd man she had just met with two hearts?_

Martha had already made her decision.

She quickly hurried after the Doctor.

The smile remained on the Time Lord's as Martha caught up with him. They weaved through the confused, crying-out people who filled the hallways, trying not to be caught up in the disorder. The people clutched onto others desperately in hope of finding something that seemed more substantial than their current situation.

He had already known Martha would come. While her friend had broken down in sobs in shock of the impossible fact they were on the moon, she had asked questions. She had began searching for the answer behind everything. Her theory on the air had genuinely impressed him and that's a reason why he had asked her to come along with him.

_Ding. Ding. Ding._

The sudden noise and the vibrating of something in his pocket surprised the Doctor and caused him to suddenly halt. Feeling that the Doctor was no longer by her side, Martha stopped as well and turned around to watch the Doctor pull something out of his pocket.

It was small, easily fitting in the palm of his large hand. It looked like a remote to the telly. Well, if most remotes had been pulled a part and crushed with a hammer. Wires stuck out every which way, several small lights blinked like fireflies in colors of blue and red, and an odd dinging noise came from the equally odd device.

"Is that a remote," Martha asked clearly confused.

The Doctor blinked, pulled out of the trance the dinging device had placed on him. "Was a remote, before I converted it into a rhondium sensor."

"A _what_ sensor?"

"Rhondium," he repeated. His voice suddenly picked up in pace, a habit of his, as he began to explain space and time...stuff to Martha. "They're these little particles inside the air that indicated the presence of some kind of space-time fissures. A while ago I was able to pin point some here in this hospital. Though it was only a small trace amount. I was curious and had nothing to do, so I decided to find out where it was coming from."

"Alright," she said hesitantly as if she was slowly understanding._ Not really_. Pointing at the object Martha questioned, "And that sensor...dings when ever you get close to...rhodium particles?"

"No, it's rhondium particles. Rhodium is a kind of metal." He corrected. "But yes. It dings when the source is close. And it started dinging once I passed this door." The Doctor turned slightly to face the open door. "What's in here?"

Martha answered, "That's just the Female Ward. I don't think anything in here will have rhodium or whatever particles."

"You never know," the Doctor said with a small amount of curiosity and excitement in his voice. Then, he entered the ward.

It was almost an exact replica of the ward where he had been kept in the past two days. The room was simple and void of people with plain, white walls that looked as if someone had scrubbed them clean with bleach. Beds lined down the room in an uniformed style. The blue curtains surrounding each one were thrown open revealing empty beds.

Each and every one of them.

Except for one.

The Doctor held up the device, pointing it towards the drawn curtains at the end of the room by the large window that showed the surface of the moon the hospital now stood upon.

_Ding. Ding. Ding._

Slowly he walked towards it; a louder, quicker dinging sound accompanied each step closer.

_Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding!_

Once he reached the bed, he tossed the device to Martha, who had followed him, and flung open the light blue drapes with a metallic _click_.

The Doctor curiously looked at the newly revealed figure lying on the bed.

Her caramel colored hair splayed across the pillow, forming a bronze halo around her face that was almost as white as the sheets she laid on. Her clasped hands rested on her chest, rising and falling with the slow, deep pace of her breathing. A small tube ran underneath her nose, feeding oxygen into her and a few IV wires led from her arm to the stand placed beside the bed. The only sound surrounding her was the steady beeping of her heart and the faint whirling coming from the machines next to the bed.

Her eyes were closed, her face slacked as if she was resting peacefully and had been that way for the longest time. _But how_ the Doctor wondered, especially with the chaos transpiring around her. It was as if she was completely unaffected, sleeping while time and space continued to spin around her, leaving her behind and completely untouched by it.

"Who is she," he asked Martha, gesturing to the odd sleeping woman.

"Oh," she exclaimed, her brown eyes sparkling with recognition as they landed on the patient. "That's Sleeping Beauty."

"What?" the Doctor said with confusion. _Odd name, even odder than the Doctor._ "Her name is Sleeping Beauty?"

"Well, that's not her real name," Martha explained almost laughing at the fact that he thought she had been serious. "It's just what we call her. A couple of weeks ago she just showed up, out of the blue. Immediately she was administered. All vital signs where good, breathing on her own. The only sign of harm were a few scars," she quickly pointed to the wrists, neck, and temples of the woman. "No one knows why or how she got here. Quite the mystery. All this time she's remained the same, sleeping, in a deep coma."

"Eventually she earned the nickname Sleeping Beauty, you know, after that fairytale," she said. "Some of the boys like to joke around, saying she won't wake up until her prince charming comes and gives her a kiss. But are those particles coming from _her?"_

To answer her question, the Doctor held out his hand, motioning for Martha to give him the sensor. She complied silently, placing it in his hands. He held the sensor towards the sleeping woman.

_DingDingDingDingDing!_

"There's your answer," he stated, handing her back the device. Overwhelmed by curiosity he continued to stare at the figure. There was no doubt in his large mind that the particles where coming from her. But where had she come from? It was _impossible_ for her to be here. She was an abnormality, something that did not belong_ at all._

Leaning forward, he held his face only a few centimeters from hers, dark brown eyes squinting as they studied her pale, slacked face. He murmured lowly, so soft that the only one who would be able hear was her.

"Who are you Sleeping Beauty?"

The steady, unchanging beat of her heart suddenly picked up, a rapid pace that was not natural.

Bright green eyes shot open.

Sleeping Beauty woke up.

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There was nothing but black.

The dark consuming color stretched on, never-ending. There was absolutely nothing there, leaving my mind alone to wander through the great expanse.

Time had no meaning to me in this state. It completely passed me by. I could not determine the difference between a second and a year, a minute and an hour. I never knew how long I had been stuck there as a prisoner within my own mind.

It was very boring to say the least.

My thoughts were my only company, and, I'll admit, pretty rubbish company at times. But they were the only thing that interrupted the silence I could not stand for some reason I didn't know which also bothered me.

Black emptiness. It was _not_ at all entertaining. Seriously, if I was going to be stuck in own my mind at least make it some kind of mind palace or beach or something else I could explore that didn't leave me bored out of my mind.

Please something interesting happen, I nearly begged. My brain would rot if I spent another moment trapped in this dark silence!

Finally at some point, the eternity of darkness came to an end. My pleas were answered when suddenly strange patterns danced across the darkness, leaving faint glowing trails in their wake. Startled at first but then realizing it could mean something, I tried to follow the golden swirling trails, to discover where they led (hopefully somewhere out of here) but the effort made the swirls fade all the faster.

The small flicker of hope that had sparked, quickly died away as the golden trails vanished, quick and sudden like the flame of a candle.

Great, so _another_ eternity spent completely bored and staring at nothing.

But then a burst of relief and happiness erupted within my body somewhere as I was slowly pulled out of the infinite blackness.

Finally, progress! Oh how I missed you.

Slowly, through a thick haze that was characteristic with a long sleep, my mind was released from its imprisonment, set free into reality where something would finally happen.

My precious senses began to return, reporting information about my new, unknown surroundings that naturally filled my head with questions. The main one being:

_Where am I?_

Soft and heavy fabric covered my body. Something smilier to cotton, I decided. Beneath me was something stiff, though it felt like as if it was a mattress. Well, it supposed to be a mattress, but I was pretty sure a rock slab was softer than it. So, I was in a bed...somewhere, where was the question I wanted answered soon. I just hoped it wasn't somewhere too awful to suddenly wake up in.

Well anywhere but a dark empty room would be wonderful, I decided. If I saw the color black after so long trapped within it, I would lose my mind...if I hadn't already lost it. I wasn't too sure on my mental stability at that moment.

I took another deep breath and a clean, sterile scent filled my nose. Okay...so I was somewhere clean. Overly clean, my brain might actually rot only from the heavy chemicals instead. Someone definitely didn't like germs where ever I was at.

My ears strained themselves, trying to detect the sounds around me. Anything besides the heavy silence that seemed to seep into my skin and make it itch for some reason.

_Voices._

Odd voices with an accent that might have been familiar, I wasn't too sure about anything at the moment since my mind decided it would be an ass and not work.

Though the voices were quickly drowned out by another steady sound that went in time with my steady heart beat.

_Beep...Beep...Beep._

A bright light bored into my eyes. Instinctually I squeezed them shut; they were heavy anyway. Something moved off to my left side; or was it my right? I was not too sure. It seemed like my sense of direction was screwed up as well.

I tried to blink, to make my eyes open and focus on something, but weariness won out. A sliver of anger rose. I wanted to see properly again! Just so I could get a better idea of where I was and to get rid of this unknowingness that bothered me so much.

Yet my traitorous eyes refused to open and they remained that way.

Stupid eyes work properly, dammit!

The seconds ticked by. At least my sense of time was sorted properly. There was another movement to what I determined as my left side. Mumbled words and hot breath blew across my face in a voice that was soft and filled with curiosity as it asked a question.

_Who are you Sleeping Beauty?_

Suddenly all of my senses were thrown into over drive. Every touch, smell, and noise was amplified to a devastating point on my overly hypersensitive body. Every new sensation shot through my nerves, hot and quick like lightning and pounded like a war drum in my suddenly working mind. After what had been an eternity of non-sensation, the abrupt change shocked me so and caused icy fear to clutch onto my now pounding heart that nearly threatened to burst.

_BeepBeepBeepBEEP!_

Finally my eyes shot open, quick as a bullet.

The first thing I found myself looking into were deep, dark brown eyes that held a spark of enthusiasm and energy that would be associated with an eager, curious child who was just seeing the stars for the first time. Although they also held an uncharacteristic depth, the kind one would see in the eyes of an elderly person who had lived many, many hard years of life and seen many unpleasant things as well.

That's when I noticed how close this person's face was to mine.

So, so close that he was practically rubbing his face against it.

Had this guy ever heard of personal space?

Panicking at the unfamiliar close contact, I sat up, scrambling back wildly until my head collided with the white rails of the headboard.

Ow, shit, that hurt. Add headache to list of things wrong with me then.

Wide, confused eyes scanned the area, focusing on the woman, and the man who had perviously been invading my personal space.

He jumped back slightly, clearly shocked that I had awoken. Though, despite it, he quickly recovered. With caution, he held up his hands as if he was a prisoner of war surrendering, but he slowly began to move towards me again.

"It's alright," the man spoke and I recognized his accented voice as the one from before. "You are fine. I will not hurt you, I promise."

The panic from before had not yet released its hold on me and my instincts flared up in warning. _Are you really gonna trust this odd man who was creepily breathing on your face while you slept?_

Uhhh...no.

When in doubt trust your gut.

So I did just that and relied on my most basic compulsion of self-defense in a situation like this.

I punched him in the nose.

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**And there is the first chapter! It's a little bit shorter than the other's I have written so far. Next chapter is especially long, mainly because it introduces more of my OC and answers some of the questions you might have about her. ****The response I received on the prologue was very pleasing. I would like to say thank you to all those that read, favorited, alerted, or reviewed! Hopefully you ****enjoyed this chapter. Please review and tell me what you think. Thanks.**


	3. Smith & Jones: Confusion Sets In

**Shadow Realm Triforce: Well, in her situation it was logical and very amusing. XD**

**rosesxBubblegum: That's good! She certainly did and luckily you don't have to wait any longer.**

**The Yoshinator: Great! The Doctor getting punched- what's more hilarious than that?**

**watergoddesskasey: Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it.**

**Guest: Good, considering the wait is over. Hopefully you enjoy.**

** Red-Butterfly4Cat: Yep, she was confused so it was the ****natural thing for her to do. You're welcome. :) Thanks for reviewing.**

**The response on this story has been great! Thank you so much to all those who have ****alerted, favorited, or reviewed!**

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**Chapter 2**

**Smith and Jones:  
****Confusion Sets In**

_It's like waking up and finding there's a war on. Nothing's the way it used to be and it's difficult to get your balance.  
_- Glenda Millard

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My fist hit his nose with a sickening _crack!_

"Ow!" the man cried out. His hands shot up to clutch his throbbing nose while he stumbled back, whether it was from shock or the force of my punch I did not know. "She punched me!" He exclaimed in a surprised, high-pitched, and slightly altered voice since he was squeezing his throbbing appendage.

Tossing the sheets from my body and into the air, I practically threw myself out of the uncomfortable rock bed. Stings of slight pain prickled my arms as the IVs tore from my skin. I ignored the small pain, but I flinched when my bare feet touched the cold as ice floors. I went to take a step forward and stumbled slightly since my legs felt more like jello than proper muscle and bone after a while of not using them. Quickly, I managed to regain my footing and not make a complete fool of myself by face-planting into the cold tile. That would have been embarrassing.

"She punched me!" The man continued to repeat again and again in disbelief. "She punched me!"

Sensing movement towards my right, I turned to see the woman making her way towards me, who was also alarmed and shocked by my sudden awakening. Well, she wasn't the only one. She reached out in order to grab me with one hand while the other held a syringe she somehow had acquired recently. It was full of clear liquid - most likely a sedative. Also most likely a strong sedative - the kind you would stick into crazy people to calm them down before you put them in a straight-jacket.

So, pretty much people like me.

The tip of the needle gleamed wickedly in the bright light, causing my eyes to go wide. Sudden fear iced my blood, tension stiffened my shoulders and panic increased my already pounding heart-rate. For some reason I could not stand the sight of that needle coming towards me. Instincts screamed at me, saying that I had to get away from it.

So, I roughly pushed past the man who still hadn't recovered. A glint of steel not far from me caught my eye and I lunged for the nearby tray full of doctor's equipment. My hands fumbled slightly, making the instruments clang together loudly as I shifted through the objects in search of something helpful. I managed to get a hold on a scalpel.

Gripping it tightly, I spun around and held it out between myself and the man and woman.

"Stop," I commanded, my voice cracking slightly from not being used for a while. Damn, how long had I been asleep? My throat felt like sandpaper; some water would be nice later. Clearing my dry throat slightly, I repeated the command in a slightly stronger tone. Well, I hoped it was stronger. I was trying to be intimidating here. "Stop, now! Or I'll use this." The steel edge flashed dangerously as I waved the scalpel threateningly, despite the sickening feeling in my gut. Holding this...weapon made me uncomfortable since I knew deep down I would never use it - I couldn't use it.

But they didn't know that.

Both of them froze, giving me surprised expressions at my apparently unexpected actions. I looked at the woman who could be considered pretty with her dark skin, hair and eyes. Her hand still held the syringe tightly and I noticed for the first time that she wore a white coat. _A doctor, _I realized_. _"Put that syringe down. Slowly," I told her. The words spilled from my lips, coming from pure instinct that screamed at my mind and tugged at my gut. So far instinct hadn't failed me, so I was more inclined to listen to it. "Then kick it away."

She glanced towards the odd man. He nodded as if to say 'go ahead.' With his assurance, she followed my instructions, placing the syringe on the floor before kicking it away. It skidded across the linoleum floor and landed on the other side of the room, far away from me. That's when I could being to feel the panic and tension fade away slightly.

With that threat removed, I finally took a proper glance at my surroundings. A clean white room filled with empty beds and medical equipment. The sight and the sterile stench led me to conclude I was in some sort of hospital. A glance out the window behind me showed that this particular hospital was on the moon - a fact that did not strike me as odd.

I turned back around just in time to see the man set his nose into place with another _crack_. That must have hurt, I thought as I kept back a wince. He removed his hand from his face, giving me a chance to truly look at him.

Most would probably consider him handsome with his tall, slim frame dressed in a blue suit. His fitted clothing seemed comfortable, easy to move in, while his shoes - red high tops - looked well-worn as if he'd been on his feet a lot. Overall his appearance was one of a man constantly running. His hair, a color of dark brown, appeared wild and crazy and stuck up every which way as if he'd been shocked with electricity. But what drew me in most about this odd man was the first thing I saw when I woke up - his eyes. They looked at me, almost staring _into _me. Curiosity burned like an ember in those dark depths along with a thousand other emotions that twisted together in a perplexing web that I couldn't even begin understand because of its sheer, brilliant complexity. There was so much to this man, oh so much that it made my own curiosity begin to rise and burn for more information.

I shook my head, trying to get the thoughts out of my mind.

I needed to concentrate, to find out where I truly was, why I was here, and who these people where. And I need to find out soon.

Narrowing my eyes at the man, I pointed the scalpel towards him. "Who are you?"

"I'm the Doctor," he responded automatically without a thought.

I continued to question him, wanting to gain as much information as I could. "Doctor what?"

"Smith. Doctor John Smith."

My eyes slid over his form. Disbelief filled me as I truly doubted his statement. He wore no white coat like the woman. He held no equipment one would expect a doctor to have - no stethoscope, ophthalmoscope, nor laryngoscope. Even his demeanor did not say _medical doctor._ Also, when he'd announced his title, the woman had looked at him in surprise, as if that was the first time she'd ever heard of _Dr. Smith_ as well. He was either a poor, unprepared doctor or a liar. Try to guess which one I thought he was.

"Prove it," I demanded. Taking a glance at the woman I noticed the i.d tag hanging from one pocket of her coat, giving me an idea. "Show me some identification."

At my command, he reached into his coat and pulled out something that appeared to be a small black leather wallet. Weird. He flipped it open to reveal something that resembled the woman's i.d card at first. Unable to see it clearly, my eyes squinted in an attempt to see it better.

"Come closer. _Slowly_."

He took slow, cautious steps towards me, holding both arms up in a nonaggressive manner with the card in one hand. Smart move. I was finally able to truly see the card when he was about a foot in front of me. The scalpel kept him from coming closer.

_Smith, John. M.D_, the card read at first and towards the side it depicted a small picture of him. It appeared to be genuine at first, but then it began to flicker. I blinked and squinted my eyes, thinking maybe my eyes were just playing a trick on me or maybe they were still screwy from my waking, but the flickering never stopped. Squiggly lines replaced the information and image, and then nothing.

The paper was blank.

Absolutely clear and white as snow.

"It's blank."

"What?"

"That paper is blank," again I stated. Suspicion laced my tone as I confirmed he was a liar.

He looked at me with those eyes again. This time I was able to see not only the now brighter burn of curiosity, but the flash of shock and the gleam of amazement. "How?!" the man cried out before he started talking softly, muttering mostly to himself. Apparently I wasn't the only mad person here. "How can you not see it? That's impossible, unless you're like a genius or something but I'm not sure _what_ you are. Well, you're American going by the accent, but you're also impossible." His eyes lifted towards me, trapping me under their searching gaze. "Who are you?"

Unconsciously, my grip on the scalpel tightened and I raised it higher to seem more hostile and serious. An uncomfortable feeling tugged at my mind with his question. Not liking the way I felt, I ignored the sensation, hoping it would just go away so it wouldn't bother me. I had enough problems already as it were. "_Who_ are you?" I insisted, emphasizing my words with a threatening jab into thin air with the scalpel. "You're not a doctor. _That's_ obvious. No more lies. Tell me. _Who are you?_"

"It's alright," the woman suddenly spoke before the man, drawing my attention to her. Although I kept shooting suspicious glances at him from the corner of my eye. Just making sure he knew he still wasn't done with my interrogation just yet. "I'm a doctor - well a doctor in training technically. But everything is alright." She kept her voice leveled, professional and calm. She _definitely_ was a _doctor_. At least someone was honest around here. "Put the scalpel down and let's talk about this calmly."

Not liking that suggestion, I countered it, "Or I can keep the scalpel and _you_ can answer _my_ questions, _calmly_." I didn't trust these people. At all. Why would I? I knew nothing about them. They could actually be nice people trying to help me or insane axe-wielding murders. Hey, it was totally possible. This wasn't ridiculous paranoia, yet at least. I was simply acting with careful caution in the name of self-preservation in an odd situation.

The woman took a breath, pausing to consider what I said. "Alright. Just answer one simple question first. What's your name?"

"Huh?" I blurted out, shifting my stance as my self-confidence slipped through my fingertips like water. Suddenly my body became uncomfortable, as if the skin I wore did not feel right.

_What's your name? _

The oh so simple and completely plain question echoed throughout my mind in a thousands of whispering voices that chilled my spine and itched at my flesh and squeezed the air from my lungs. A lump rose in my throat.

_What's your name?_

It was odd, because the answer didn't automatically appear like it usually would. Instead of an involuntary response, I had to actually search my mind for my reply.

_What's your name?_

"I-I don't know," I managed to stuttered out since talking and apparently breathing were suddenly becoming a challenge. I couldn't speak - that was quite a change. Panic swelled within me as that simple fact shook me to my core. How could I not know my own name? What kind of bullshit was this? No. No. This was not right, I had to know my name. I refused to think I did not.

I continued to scavenge my mind for the simple, yet so important answer, but I could not find it and I could no longer ignore the harsh truth. I had no idea what my name was.

Nothing made sense.

_Dammit_.

If I didn't know my own name, what else did I not know?

The answer to that question scared me nearly out of my wits because I didn't even know the answer.

The scalpel clattered to the ground.

My hands began to shake with the rise of my panic. My breathing turned sharp once again, coming in short and quick gasps as my lungs stopped cooperating. My heart raced and threatened to burst out of my chest. My mind pounded steadily as if a platoon of men were marching in my head while I continued to mentally and colorfully curse at everything I did not know. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to regain some form of composure over my own body as it spiraled out of control.

"Shh," a soothing voice pierced through the pounding and panic. All of a sudden there was someone so close to me, cradling the sides of my face softly. Blinking my eyes open, I found myself staring in brown eyes once again. Was this going to become a habit? "I can help you," the man softly said.

"How?" My voice became quieter, though it still held its bite with my harsh demand. "How could you possibly tell me my name? I don't even know, so why the hell would you?!"

He sighed, hesitating with his answers as if he did not know how to explain so I could understand. "I can help you. It's this trick I can do. It will allow me to scan your mind, to help you find your memories."

"So you're a mind-reader? Fan-_fucking_-tastic." I grumbled with a roll of my eyes. Honestly, I had no idea if this man told the truth or if he should be locked in a padded room. "Also, how do I know you won't abuse your ability _if_ I so happen to let you invade my mind?"

Mostly, I indulged the idea of him actually being a telepath for shit and giggles, but there was a part of me a little bit more accepting of the idea. That part didn't find this possibility or anything in my situation to be that odd - except the fact I didn't know my own name. It was that part of me that figured if by some chance he could really read my mind, then maybe he could help me. Feeling as if I had only something to gain and nothing to lose, I decided I would actually let this guy try to help me.

But I still didn't trust him. Not for one _second_.

"Well, not really a mind-reader but actually..." his voice began to pick up in speed as if he was about to go into some long, complicated explanation. Though he quickly snapped out of it, "...Never mind. Not relevant. Anyways, to answer your question - if there is anything you don't wish me to see - imagine a door and close it. I won't go near it."

"Will this hurt me?" I honestly didn't need any more pain - I was confused, unsure, and paranoid about everything. Pain was something I did not need to add to the clusterfuck of my mind and emotions, thank you very much.

"It shouldn't. Although you might find old memories reawakening. Side effect."

"Why the hell should I trust _you_ of all people?" The question slipped out, unbidden. Though it was a good question. "An odd man who was breathing over me when I woke up and has done nothing but lie to me since then. Not to mention some of the things you've said make me wonder why you're not locked up in an asylum."

"Because you have to trust someone and right now your best shot is me."

Releasing a sigh, I scanned his expression, trying to decide if I truly could trust this man. So far, he'd given me no reasons to do such. And yet, when I looked into those oh so deep, dark, and complicated eyes I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of curiosity. There was so little I knew about everything, including why I was here, who these people are, and who I even was (which seriously pissed me off). There was so much I wanted, no _needed_ to know. And the main one was who this man really is.

Curiosity was a bitch.

A really twisted and _persistent_ bitch.

It tugged at the back of my mind, whispering in earnest and encouraging me to take the dive into the deep - to take the chance just to see if this man was as odd and great as he'd implied. To see if he could help me. It wrestled and battled with the small amount of reason (and slight paranoia) that continued to flare angry red warning flags at _everything _around me. Even though reason gave such a good fight, curiosity adhered to me like some kind of disease or perhaps an overly clingy girlfriend.

Eventually, reason lost that battle. I mourned its lost for about a second.

Curiosity is going to get me killed.

But what the hell?

"Alright," I finally caved in with a sigh for the defeat of my reason. Honestly it never stood a chance. "But if you're lying I'll punch you in the nose again."

"Fair enough," he nodded in agreement. Then his voice changed and so did his eyes. They became soft, soothing, serious, and curious. "Relax. Just close your eyes and relax."

A pressure appeared on my temples. The man's fingertips, I realized since his hands still cradled my head. His eyes fluttered shut and soon mine were closing involuntarily as well.

* * *

Blackness welcomed me once again when I entered my own mind. Good to see nothing has changed, I sarcastically thought.

Much to my surprise, this time was actually different.

A door of bright green stood in front of me. Concentrating, I allowed it to swing open, revealing the man standing on the other side. Immediately he stepped through, passing me and entering the depths of my mind.

Amongst the never-ending darkness, his presence walked. His footsteps echoed across the silence of my mind; his head twisted and turned while his eyes searched for anything in nothing.

Already knowing he probably wouldn't find anything, I stayed put and allowed him to go off on his own. He could call out if he got lost, I figured. Tapping my foot in boredom, my eyes scanned around the blackness, hating the fact that I was back here after spending an eternity within it. Though my gaze always came back to that door, the only unfamiliar object here.

It caught my interest causing my curiosity to force me closer. Cautiously I touched the frame, studying it carefully but not finding much. It seemed nothing special- just a wooden door painted green. I peered through the open doorway, wondering what was on the other side. At that moment I realized that doors can open both ways so if this side was my mind...then the other could lead to his. With one step, I could enter this odd man's mind and answer all of my questions about him. I could know who he truly was.

Again curiosity reared its head, becoming that little impulse tugging at the back of my mind that tried to goad me to take the leap.

Again I listened to it and stepped through the door.

* * *

_A burnt orange sky stretched above me. Twin suns shined down in the orange canvas. As the second sun rose in the east, the never-ending snow-capped mountains gleamed. Slopes of deep red grass extended across the surface. In the morning, tress with leaves of silver would catch the sunlight so perfectly, creating a forest on fire. An autumn breeze blew through the branches, knocking the branches together and whistling the leaves to create a beautiful song. Then there was the mighty Citadel. It rose from the surface strong and proud. A glass dome encased the great buildings and always glimmered in the sunlight._

**_Gallifrey. _**

_The sight of this fantastical, beautiful world amazed me, reminding me of some fairytale land in a story. Homesickness that did not belong to me plagued my heart and I realized this is the home of the man, who wasn't really a man._

_He belonged to race of aliens, so different from humans in so many ways. For instances, they had two hearts and could replace their dying bodies by a process called regeneration._

**_Time Lord._**

_Memories continued to passed around me, allowing me to learn so much. I relived a childhood full of nobody. Familiar loneliness creeped into my heart, weighing it down and darkening it. This loneliness I discovered stretched on, never leaving his life. It still remained now._

_Some memories seemed blurry and I never stayed in them for long. I watched the years of childhood and adolescence fly by, catching the occasionally glimpse of some important or notable things like the grand sight of the Untempered Schism and the Vortex that turned within it._

_Suddenly a crystal clear memory crashed into me._

_The bright flames of fire twisted and turned, rising up into the air as if the licks of heat and elimination were dancing a deadly tango. I could see the silver trees burning along with homes, buildings, and even people. Everything I saw was bathed in a bright sea of dark red, burning orange, and vivid yellow. A blanket of heavy smoke and the black and white ash rained down, suffocated everything trapped beneath it. Tortured cries of agony and pain beat mercilessly against my ears as the putrid stink of burning flesh filled my nostrils. _

_Among those cries, were yells. Commanding calls giving out orders to fight back, but for some reason I knew it was hopeless._

_A war._

_I was in a war._

**_The Time War. _**

_A war between the race of Time Lords and Daleks- monsters born from hate that felt no emotion. This war was important for it's out come determined the fate of the universe. He knew that if the Daleks won, they would continue across the stars to destroy all life that was no their own._

_Fear, overwhelming fear and sadness because of the destruction cracked my pounding heart. Everything was so horrible. I wanted to cry, to scream, to run away and leave everything behind._

_And that's what he did._

_He ran away from the fight, but not before placing a time lock around the war and leaving both sides trapped in a never-ending battle against one another. He'd ended the Time Wars and saved the universe, but at a high cost. The Daleks were destroyed but so were his world and his people._

**_Last of the Time Lords._**

_Once the War ended, he traveled on in a blue box that was bigger on the inside and could travel throughout all of time and space._

**_TARDIS_**

_Sometimes, he met people by chance and they traveled with him as his companions because he needed somebody to help with the darkness of loneliness, pre and post war. Something I could understand. Together they would go on such great adventures, traveling all across time and space. I experienced most of these great escapades and marveled at all the worlds and creatures they encountered. Although, I learned that these companions never stay with him, for everything must come to an end. _

_Some would leave him, some were left behind, and some even died._

_His last companion got trapped in a parallel universe with no chance of him ever seeing her again._

**_Rose._**

_My mind spun with all this new and wonderful knowledge about this man. Here in his mind, I could see and experience nearly everything about him. From his highest moment to his darkest one and everything in between._

_And yet, I still felt like I knew nothing. There were too many layers. He was too complex for me to begin to understand from a single glance. To truly learn everything about him, I would have to stay with him and allow him to show me everything about this impossible man who wasn't even called by a true name._

**_The Doctor._**

* * *

"What did you do?"

With a shock, my eyes blinked open as I was suddenly thrown back into the world of reality. There I once again found impossibly deep eyes trying to gaze into me. "Holy shit," I breathed quietly as my mind rapidly spun in circles, trying to sort through everything now ingrained in it. It was almost too much, and for a brief moment I thought my mind might collapse. Ugh, that wouldn't be good.

The man - the Doctor continued to look at me as he removed his hands from my face. "What did you do?" He repeated slowly with burning eyes.

Taking a breath, I managed to sort out my mind to were it was no longer in a critical stage of chaos and regained the ability to speak. "When you looked into my mind, a door appeared. That's how you gained access to my memories. Well, a door opens from both sides."

Realization caused his eyes to widen and his mouth to open slightly. "W-what?" he stuttered out quietly, apparently trying to keep this conversation between us and not let the woman over-hear. "Wait. You looked into my mind?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Why?"

With a shrug, I replied, "Well, if you got to look into to my mind, I think it was fair I got to look into yours. And I was curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat," the Doctor said as if he was a mother chastising a young child - namely me.

"And satisfaction brought it back," I rebutted, trying not to smirk. "I, for one, feel very satisfied."

Glancing at me with suspicion, he demanded in a low voice, "What did you experience?"

"Almost everything, _Doctor_." His false name was just a simple whisper from my lips, but the effect was great. Those brown eyes of his widened even more as surprise and amazement lightened their color. It was entertaining for me to see him so surprised after knowing all he's seen.

He muttered so quietly to himself I barely heard him, "Oooh, you're an interesting one." I nearly smiled at that, but maintained my composure. I wasn't done interrogating just yet, especially now I knew there was so much to learn.

"So what did you see in my mind, Doctor?" I genuinely wanted to know if he was able to find anything in my poor excuse for memories.

"Nothing," the Doctor sighed, running a hand through his hair with a puff of frustration. "Well, actually I found some things, but not much. Your memories aren't really memories. What one would consider memories are personal experiences - events, birthdays, family, loss, love. Life is full of these experiences. Full of the things you have gone through and they are what define people. It's your past that helps to form you who you are."

He held my complete attention as he talked. Although it became a bit difficult to follow him for the longer he talked, the faster he talked until he was speaking in a quick string of words. And he didn't even notice the change in his speed, too absorbed by his own explanation and vice. Although, I prided myself for being able to somewhat comprehend everything he spouted off.

"Now you. You don't have any of these kinds of memories. There's something there, but it's just knowledge. Pure, plain knowledge of things. You know what a room is, what a window is, how to breath- simple things everyone knows. There is barely any emotional ties what so ever. The most is that you know what you like and dislike. For example, I found a 'memory' of you enjoying drawing and reading _the Hobbit._ Your amnesia is extremely odd. Nothing is ever forgotten, not completely. There's aways a trace that can be use to help someone remember. In your brain, there is no trace at all. It's like something has scrubbed your mind completely clean of all important memories. Now why would someone do that?"

The Doctor stopped talking, giving me a look as if he expected me to answer his question.

"I have no fucking clue," I responded in a voice that implied he was stupid for thinking I did and he was. "Remember, I don't know my own name so how would I know _that_?"

Thinking it over for a second, he agreed with me. "Riiight."

"Yeah, stupid," I rolled my eyes. Really, for a nine-hundred year old brilliant Time Lord this man still had his blonde moments.

"Hey!" The woman, Martha Jones whose name I now knew thanks to the Doctor's mind, called out, shattering that 'special' little moment between the Doctor and I. "I found something!"

The Doctor and I turned to look at her. Martha stood beside my hospital bed, but she held a black messenger bag in one hand and a light blue book that looked like some sort of diary or journal in the other. We both walked towards her to get a closer look at what she had discovered. Upon further inspection, I saw that the well-worn cover of the book was full of simple doodles of random objects like flowers and chess pieces. They were quite good actually.

"Where did you get that," the Doctor took the book from her and began to flip through its cream-colored pages.

"Right there," she responded, crouching down and pointing to the shadows at a corner beneath my hospital bed. I crouched next to her, looking to see if anything else happened to be there. There wasn't "It was hidden pretty well, but I had plenty of time to search while you two talked. It's odd. I've been in this ward everyday to check up on each of the patients as a part of my training, yet I've never seen that bag before."

"Maybe someone left it there recently," the Doctor mused, but his tone seemed distant, distracted almost. A _rip _of paper sounded through the air. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash of something deep blue and cream before it disappeared into the Doctor's jacket.

"Find something," I asked him as I got to my feet, heavy suspicion lacing my tone. Next to me, Martha followed my actions.

Quickly, he flipped through the pages to the very front and showed us the first page. "I believe so." On that particular page, there was a pencil sketch of a young woman with pretty, kinda plain features and expressive eyes. Who ever drew it had talent clearly. _Self-portrait, _neat handwriting read in one lower corner of the page. In the other corner was the words: _Sketch Diary. Property of Anya. _

"Who's Anya?" I blurted out.

"You."

"What?" The Doctor held up the picture next to my face. "What is it?" I continued to question.

"My God," Martha exclaimed, her eyes rapidly shifting between the picture and m and widening considerably what seemed to be recognition. "You look exactly like her."

"Really? _No_."

"Yes," the Doctor insisted as he put the book back into the bag. "I believe we just discovered your name." Smiling, he held out a hand to me. "Hello Anya."

_Anya. _Hmm, not that bad of a name. It could have certainly been worse. A small amount of stress lifted from my shoulders when we discovered my name. Now at least I knew that little fact about myself instead of absolutely nothing.

"Hey," I said unsurely shaking his hand. His smile widened a bit and he handed me the bag, which was now mine apparently.

A moment of silence passed while the Doctor stared at me with calculating eyes as if I was a puzzle that was too difficult for him to solve, I stared back at him challengingly, and Martha glanced around, her eyes landing on the windows. The moment was only broken when the Doctor spoke up. "Well, that's one part of a mystery solved. Let's move on to the next one."

"_Hospital On The Moon _Mystery," I questioned, remembering from his mind how a storm with lightning and up side down rain had suddenly trapped this hospital on the moon.

Confirming my statement, the Doctor smiled, "That's the one. Come on, Martha, Anya." Without any more word, the Doctor suddenly started to run out of the room, Martha and I following on his heels after realizing he was leaving. Now, if this was any other man, I would not have followed him. But this was the Doctor. I had seen and experienced most of his life for myself. I knew following him would mean never-ending running, adventure, and danger. Though, after spending so much time trapped within my own mind, I was ready to explore. To get out of this boring hospital. To run. To see the stars.

So, I followed the Doctor.

Although, half-way across the room, I stopped and looked down at the simple, thin hospital gown I wore. The hem only came a bit lower than mid-thigh, not the best thing to be running about in. "Hey!" I yelled out. Both of them stopped, turning around the look at me with questioning glances. I informed them, "I'm not wearing any pants."

* * *

**Alrighty, so this time the chapter is longer and so will the next few chapters. The episode Smith and Jones has about five chapters, which is longer than normal mainly because I've added a lot in order to introduce my OC who now has a name- Anya! Hopefully you have enjoyed her thus far. Please leave a review telling me what you think. Thanks!**


	4. Smith & Jones: Chasing the Wind

**Fellowship of Avengers: Nope, Anya doesn't remember a lot. Eventually the reason for this will be explained and until then her amnesia will be used as a source of some angst and plot points. Yep, she did, she was too curious to pass up the ****opportunity. Thanks, I have always liked the name Anya, and I'm glad I finally have an Oc named it.**

**The Yoshinator: I'm glad you like Anya and her little invasion of the doctor's mind. It was kinda a way if Anya to learn everything she needs to know without a long explanation. **

**TheGirlWhoBelieved: Oh so do I. ;) Thanks! I'm really glad you like the story and Anya. I've been working on her character for a while, and I hope you will continue to like her. Ooh, there certainly will be twists and cliffhangers as the story progresses- that's the beauty of a slightly AU fic ;) this chapter has a bit if a cliffhanger at the end, so enjoy.**

**Owl: doctor who? Thanks! I'm glad you are enjoying it so much. I have no idea what to do with the Internet now that I have won it. Yes, yes she did just punch the universe's most powerful being in the nose. **

**watergoddesskasey: I thank thee. I'm glad that you enjoyed it. Hopefully you will like this chapter as well.**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**Smith and Jones:  
****Chasing the Wind**

_Louder, louder, and we'll run for our lives.  
_- Snow Patrol

* * *

After Martha retrieve a simple white robe for me to wear, we followed the Doctor through a pair of doors and out onto a balcony. Taking a deep breath, I noticed the crisp air that was not supposed to exist. But then the magnificent view presented before me drew my attentions away. The barren, rocky landscape of the moon stretched on till it met the darkness of space along the horizon. Stars shimmered, suspended in the blackness along with Earth. Seeing the world from this angle was amazing; it seemed to glow with its brilliance while the bright greens, crashing blues, and swirling white of the planet shined against the dark backdrop.

"Nice view," I commented. Pushing past the Doctor, I leaned against the stone railing. A smile tipped the corner of my lips. Even after staring at it for a while, I still couldn't get over the sight before me. It made me wonder what other worlds and stars were out there that would be amazing to see as well.

"We got air," Martha said, taking a breath as if to make sure. Once that was confirmed, she asked in astonishment, "How does that work?"

The Doctor stated, "Just be glad it does."

"We are, considering we're not suffocating or dying," I added, "but the sight would be worth it. That is just beautiful." To my side, the Doctor walked up to stand next to me, gazing out at our surroundings. A moment of silence passed; it bothered something within me again but I ignored it in order to appreciate and memorize the brilliance that stood before me considering I didn't have a camera to capture the image.

"I've got a party tonight," Martha glanced over at the Doctor and me, finally breaking the spell of silence. "It's my brother's twenty-first. My mother's going to be really ... really..." Emotion swelled within her, causing her voice to wobble. She looked as if she was about to cry. But the girl held it together, shaking her head in attempt to hide the growing emotions.

I felt sympathy and great respect for her. This situation, in its extreme oddness, could definitely overwhelm a person, as it had done to most of the distressed people in the hospital. The main reason I wasn't a witless mess as well was thanks to the things I'd seen in the Doctor's head. He'd been through so many things that made this situation look like a walk in the park. Thanks to those episodes I'd felt, I was able to keep a straight and clear mind. Also, for someone who'd just woke up from a coma, I have adjusted to everything pretty well. Maybe even more than the norm.

The Doctor turned toward her in worry, "You okay?"

"Yeah," she responded weakly.

"Sure?" He continued to question in concern.

"Yeah."

"D'you want to go back in?"

Her eyes turned back to the landscape of the moon. Strongly, Martha stated, "No way. I mean we could die any minute, but all the same...it's _beautiful." _

"You think?"

"Definitely," I sighed, tilting my head slightly. "I've been staring at blackness for who knows how long. That sight is just amazing to me, it would be to anyone really. I could use a camera right about now." I glanced at the black bag thrown over my shoulder we'd found and determined to be mine. Hmm, I wondered if there might be a camera in it. Later on, I would definitely have to search through, just to see if there was anything else to help fill in all the blank spaces in my mind.

Martha commented with a wide smile, "Me too. How many people want to go to the Moon? And here we are."

"Standing in the earthlight," the Doctor said.

After a short pause, Martha began to speak. The smile fell as a calm serious took over her expression. "What d'you think happened?"

He redirected "What do _you_ _two _think happened?"

"I'm not saying it was aliens, but it was aliens," I answered with a small smile. The Doctor snorted quietly in amusement.

Martha nodded in agreement. "Extraterrestrial. It's got to be. I don't know, a few years ago that would have sounded mad, but these days? That spaceship flying into Big Ben-Christmas-those Cybermen things. I had a cousin. Adeola. She worked at Canary Wharf. She never came home."

As she continued to speak, I immediately turned to look at the Doctor. His expression was one of realization and also of mourning remembrance. He was thinking of the battle, I knew since it was the exact same memory pushing towards the forefront of my mind. Briefly, images flashed before my mind- the Daleks, the Cybermen, the destruction, the battle, the Void, Rose almost falling into the void...

"I was there," the Doctor murmured quietly, his eyes taking on this far off look. "In the battle..." He trailed off and the reason why was clear to me. Even though, he'd never sustained any physical wounds in the battle, he still felt pain from the emotional trauma. He was still raw from it. It was too soon.

His memories continued to play out within my mind, suddenly over taking my sense until all I could see was destruction, all I could feel was fear and pain, and all I could hear was the cries of the dying or the emotionless statements of _delete _and _exterminate._

Out of an impulse, I blindly reached out, trying to grab onto to something- anything to reassure I was here, and not alone in that battle. As it turns out, I'd grabbed the Doctor's hand that rested beside mine.

Heat rose to my cheeks in embarrassment when he looked at me. Hesitate and unsure of my next move, I squeezed his hand in a comforting manner. If I wanted to pretend I was a good person, I squeezed his hand to bring him comfort, but honestly, my reason was most likely more selfish than that. Feeling guilty begin to weigh down my heart, I let go of his hand and turned away, trying to ignore the feeling of his eyes staring into me again. Thank you Martha, I thought when she drew the Doctor's attention to herself when she began to talk again.

"I promise you, Mr. Smith, Anya, we'll find a way out," she stated with determination. "If we can travel to the moon, then we can get back, there's got to be a way."

"It's not Smith," he corrected. The Doctor took a step back before traveling to the other side of the balcony, eyes scanning all around. Probably looking for what was keeping the air in, I thought. "That's not my real name."

Martha questioned, "Who are you, then?"

"I'm the Doctor."

"Me too," she joked with a short chuckle. "If I ever pass me exams. What is it then, _Dr. _Smith?"

He traveled to the other side and looked over the banister once again. "Just the Doctor."

"How d'you mean, just the Doctor?"

"He literally is call _the Doctor_, " I answered simply.

"What, people call you 'the Doctor'?"

"Yeah," he stated, looking at Martha in confusion while I said, "Pretty much."

"Well I'm not," she determined in a strong voice before spinning back around towards the landscape. I didn't couldn't blame her for not accepting 'the Doctor' was his name; I'd done the same at first until I got that peak into his mind. In all honesty, it was just his memories that made me form some trust towards him in such a little amount of time. "As far as I'm concerned, I've got to earn that title."

"Well, I'd better make a start then. Let's have a look" the Doctor said. "There must be some sort of..." He reached down to pick up a stone chipping before launching it over the edge. Instead of the pebble floating off into space like expected, the pebble collided with some unseen force, causing bright blue ripples to form in thin air. I blinked and the next second it was gone. Studying the reaction intently, the Doctor confirmed, "force field."

Martha's brow furrowed in concentration. "..But if that like a bubble sealing us in. That means this is the only air we've got. What happens when it runs out?"

Oh, shit, I thought as I quickly caught onto to what she was saying. This air was eventually going to run out, leaving a hospital full of people to suffocate. Great, I just woke up from a coma, and now I'm about to die in space. This has been a protective day.

Even though he'd probably realized the imminent ending of us all, the Doctor remained calm and collected. "How many people are in this hospital?"

"Dunno, a thousand," she guessed.

Grimly, the Doctor said, "A thousand people suffocating."

"That's a lovely thought," I muttered sarcastically.

"Why would anyone do that?" Martha asked in disbelief.

With a shrug, I offered a reasonable assumption, "Because they're assholes?"

A loud _thrrm_ overhead caught our attentions, causing us to look around for the source. "Heads up," the Doctor said. "Ask them yourselves."

Three tubelike spaceships flew over the hospital, their roaring engines drawing everyone to the windows to get a look. It was quite easy to spot the ships since it was studded with levels and lights, all very functional and military-like. Soon, the ships began to descend about half a mile away from the Earth building. Lunar soil was sent into the air, causing plumes of dust to rise as the metal behemoths of a ship touched down. Metal ramps could be seen extending from the middle of the ships to the dirt once the dust cleared. Shortly after, large, imposing figures decked out in black armor traveled down the platform in a military march and began to approach the hospital.

"Aliens," Martha breathed. "That's aliens...real proper aliens."

"Judoon," the Doctor corrected, glowering at the approaching figures.

Questions filled my mind. Wanting to know the answers, I voiced my thoughts, "Why are they here? Or why did they bring us here?What would the Judoon need with a hospital?"

"Don't know," he replied. "But let's find out."

With those words, the Doctor ran back inside, throwing the doors open. Giving Martha a glance, we followed after him through the crowded hallways, full of fear-stricken and panicking people as the rumor of aliens entering the hospital spread like destructive wild-fire. The closer we got to the lobby, the louder the screams became. The thought caused fear to make a sudden appearance in my mind.

As we approached the mezzanine level, the Doctor, Martha, and I slowly creeped into a hiding spot behind some potted plants. Here we were given the perfect vantage point to see the events occurring in the lobby. "See I was right, assholes brought us to the moon," I stated, seeing how the Judoon pretty much barged in here like jerks and started terrifying the people.

Of course, the Doctor was more concerned about something else other than the giant Rhino-people shining a blue light into the faces of the terrified humans before marking their hands with an _X. _"Oh, look down there, you've got a little shop. I like a little shop," he said, a wide smile stretching his face.

I couldn't help but chuckle. He looked like a little kid visiting a candy store for the first time. "Hoping to get a souvenir, Doctor?" I questioned with a small smile tugging a corner of my lips.

"Never mind that," Martha scolded us. "What are the Judoon?"

He answered, "They're like police. Well, police for hire, more like interplanetary thugs."

"Are most civil jobs filled by humanoid animals? Since apparently cats are nurses and rhinos are cops," I asked curiously, remembering the time the Doctor had encountered Nurse Cats when he'd gone to New New Earth. "What are dogs mailmen?"

"Some of them. But no not all postmen and not all jobs," the Doctor replied. Hmm, that's some interesting trivia.

Martha stated, "Concentrate. So they're space thugs. And they brought us to the moon?"

"Neutral territory," the Doctor informed us, "According to galactic law, they've got no jurisdiction over the Earth. So, they isolated us. That rain, and lightning, that was them, using a H2O scoop." Another trivia fact- rain can teleport apparently.

"That doesn't sound right," I muttered, referring to the Judoon's methods of isolating the hospital. "Their _'methods' _don't seem that ethical. It seems like they're breaking a law by doing this."

"They're not," he said. "There are laws against this type of method, but they've managed to find a loop-hole to get around it."

"What are you on about, Galactic police," Martha scoffed. "Where d'you get that from?" The Doctor shifted over to get a better view, and Martha continued to speak as we moved to follow him. "If they're police, are we under arrest? Are we trespassing on the moon or something?"

I snorted in amusement, but I liked that a lot. Arrested for trespassing on the moon. If you had to be arrested, that's quite a good reason to be. And also it would make a _great_ story to tell.

"No, but I like that," he commented. "Good thinking. Wish it was that simple. If they're making a catalogue, that means they're after something non-Human." Hearing that I tensed, taking a glance at the Doctor. Oooh, this wasn't good for him. He certainly was _not_ human. "Which is very bad news for me."

Confusion creased Martha's features as she processed what he said. "Why?" The Doctor just gave her a look, allowing her to infer what did not need to be said. "Oh, you're kidding me."

"Actually he isn't," I informed her while the Doctor continued to look at her. She ignored me and shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. That reaction was very understandable. I'd already been put under that scrutinizing look so many times today.

"Don't be ridiculous," she tried to laugh, but as the Doctor continued to look at her she sobered up. "Stop looking at me like that."

"Come on then," the Doctor simply said before standing up and walking back towards the stairs we'd used to get here. As I got up to go along with him, I took a glance at Martha. She remained crouched down, her face set into one of serious contemplation. Noticing the Doctor getting further away, I ran after him before I lost him in the chaos.

Climbing the stairs quickly, we entered Floor 6. Screams from other floors echoed in the stair well, as the Judoon continued their search for the non-human. The Doctor winded us through the hallways, eyes concentrating on the signs on the walls. "Whacha looking for," I asked him.

"An office or a lab. I need access to a computer to check the hospital's database. Ah! Here we go!" He suddenly halted to a stop in front of a door, throwing out an arm in front of me so I would do the same. It collided with my stomach and I let out an _oof _at the impact_. _Glancing at me, he quickly added, "Sorry."

"Sure, you are. Then why did you hit me," I stated with a roll of my eyes. He didn't quite catch that as he bursted through the door labeled _Lab 5. _As I entered the lab, sure to be cautious of the swinging doors, I immediately saw the Doctor pull up a chair to the only computer. He fished in his jacket for a moment and then pulled out a small metal device. Pointing at the blank computer screen, the Time Lord pressed a button and an odd noise sounded. Suddenly the computer came to life, bringing up the hospital's database.

"Sonic screwdriver," I stated, recognizing that sound from his memories as I made my way to stand by him.

"Yeah," the Doctor said, glancing over his shoulder at me with a curious look. "How did you-oh right. You looked into my memories. Rude."

I snorted, raising my eyebrows in disbelief at his comment. "I'm _rude?" _

"Yes, you punched me."

"Because you were breathing over me like some creeper when I was in a coma. What did you expect me to do? It was self-defense."

"Well, I didn't expect you to wake up," the Doctor tried to defend himself. "Now, be quiet. I need to see if I can figure out which patient the Judoon are looking for." Dismissing me, he turned back to the computer and began sonicking it again.

"That's your fault then," I muttered lowly. "Stupid, rude and not ginger Time Lord."

"SHh!" The Doctor said loudly.

"Fine," I hissed. Huffing, I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest. My foot tapped impatiently against the tile floor since the Doctor was taking so much time to search through the database.

"They've reached the third floor," Martha announced, bursting through the doors. Poor doors, they'd been abused twice now by the Doctor and Martha. The actual doctor in training came to a stop, seeing the Doctor sonic the computer. "What's that thing?"

"Sonic screwdriver," he stated as if it was the most normal, mundane answer ever.

Martha didn't take that way. Frustrated, she huffed, "Well, if you're not gonna answer me properly-"

The Doctor turned around in his chair, confusion about her irritation clear on his expressive face. "It really it! It's screwdriver. And it's sonic. Look."

He held up the alien device for her to see for a moment. Giving her a good look at it, he turned around and started back on his task. Martha let out a laugh, coming up to his side. "What else have you got? A laser spanner?"

"I did, but it was stolen by Emily Pankhurst, cheeky woman." Seeing Martha's smile drop at his serious answer, I tried to keep back a laugh. Suddenly, the Doctor slammed a hand on a computer, frustrated by its uselessness apparently. "What's wrong with this computer?! The Judoon must have locked it down. Judoon Platoon upon the moon." I wondered if he could be able to say that three-times fast.

In frustration, the Doctor ran his hand over his face and then his hair. The action caused the brown strands to stick up even more now, giving him a mad scientist look. Well, he kinda always looked like that, it was just more apparent now. I held back a snicker, debating wether or not I should ask if he intentionally tried to get his hair to defy gravity. As if he could read my thoughts or hear my laughter, he shot a glance back at me. I gave him a small, innocent smile that probably incriminated me even more. Then he turned his attention to the medical intern at my side.

"Cause I was just traveling past, I swear," the Doctor explained feverishly, "I was just wandering, I wasn't looking for trouble, honestly, I wasn't. But I tracked those rhondium particles to the hospital. Then I noticed these plasma coils around the hospital, and that lightning - that's plasma coils - been building up for two days now, so I checked in, I thought something was going on inside. It turns out the rhondium was coming from Anya and the plasma coils were the Judoon up above."

"But what were they looking for," Martha asked. That answer was something we would all like to know, except it was more like _who _are they looking for.

The Doctor continued to glare at the unhelpful computer, "Something that looks human, but isn't."

"Like you, apparently."

"Like me," he confirmed and turned his head back to look at us. "But not me."

"Haven't they got a photo," she questioned while the Doctor went back to work on the computer. Clicking drifted through the conversation as the Time Lord began to type on the computer.

"Could be a shape-changer."

"Whatever it is, can't you just leave the Judoon to find it?" I nodded. Hmm, good question. It seemed like to me it might be better to allow the Judoon to do their job. Sure, they did not have most proficient methods that sucked when it came to dealing with the easily panicked humans, but it was still their job - their burden. Why would we need to get caught up in it?

The Doctor's typing escalated into furiously jabs in frustration when nothing but blank patient files continued to appear on the screen. His voice to rose slightly, "If they declare the hospital guilty of harboring a fugitive, they'll sentence it to execution."

"All of us?" Martha asked in alarm.

My eyes widened at the statement. Oh I was so wrong. "Are fucking kidding me? Are the Judoon really that stupid? None of us knew there was a fucking alien in the hospital. Would they really murder innocent people in the name of false justice?"

"Oh yes. But if I can find this thing first..." the Doctor said trailing off. Suddenly, he pushed back away from the desk. His face turned red as he hit the computer again and cried out in indignation, "Oh d'you see?! They're thick! Judoon are thick! So completely thick, they've wiped the records! That's clever!"

Martha and I jumped back away from him, surprised by the outburst. Damn, he could yell. The computer flashed with different symbols of red, orange, and black in front of the Doctor before dying. Slouching in his chair in slight defeat, he rubbed his hand through his hair again.

"What are we looking for," Martha asked, trying to help him in someway.

"I don't know. Any patient admitted in the past week with unusual symptoms." the Doctor blew out with a puff of air, his face scrunching in concentration. Most likely he was thinking of another way to figure out who the alien was. A thought crossed his mind. "Maybe there's a back-up," he mused and then he proceeded to take apart the computer, pulling at the casing and retrieving his sonic screwdriver.

"Just keep working. I'll go ask Mr Stoker, he might know," Martha informed us and walked away. The sound of doors opening closing told me that Martha had disappeared back into the chaos of the hallway.

As he began to sonic the abused computer again, I took a seat on the desk close to him. "So do you think you'll be able to recover the information," I asked to strike up some sort of conversation to fill the silence Martha had left behind.

Fiddling with the wires, he replied, "Yes, if I am very, very lucky." The computer screen suddenly came to life with a loud _bing_. A large smile lit up the Doctor's face. "Aha! I knew they had backups! Oooh, I'm good."

"I thought you were lucky," I question with a smirk and a tilt of my head.

"I'm both," he corrected. Standing he looked at me, "Come on. Let's find Martha and tell her." I nodded, jumping to my feet and following him out of the door.

Thankfully it did not take much more running to find the medical student. We ran into her in the hallways, literally. Beaming with pride because of his accomplishment, the Doctor told her, "I restored the back-ups."

"I found her," she said.

"I did nothing," I added my two cents. "I think Martha wins. Nice job."

Shocked, the Doctor asked Martha,"You did what?"

Before any explanations or exchanges of more information could take place, a sudden crash diverted all of our attentions to a biker dude completely decked out in black leather crashed through a close door, ripping it off its hinges before barreling towards us. Wow, it really was not a good day for doors.

Then I felt someone slip their hand into mine. Flinching slightly and looking around in shock (and slight paranoia) I discovered it was the Doctor. He grabbed Martha's hand with the other and shouted "Run!"

Dragging us along with him, we raced through the crowded corridor, rushing past the people and dodging the overturned stretches and other objects blocking our path. I prayed that I wouldn't trip over everything, for two reasons. One - it would be embarrassing as hell and two - it would allow the Leather Dude to catch up to us and kill us. Either way, I did not want to trip now.

Bursting through yet another pair of doors, we came to the stairwell. Quickly we rushed down the flights, turning the corners sharply until the fourth floor. There the Doctor came to a sudden stop and causing me to run into him again.

"Hey!" I cried out in protest, pain sparking in my forehead where it had collided with his shoulder. He was a bit bony and it hurt. I would have yelled and protested more, if I had not caught sight of _why_ he'd stopped in the first place. "Never mind," I told him, seeing a group of Judoon marching up the stairs towards us.

The Doctor turned, pulling us down another hallway, leading away from the Judoon. Eventually he let go of our hands, no longer seeing a need to drag us along and to make it easier to run. My breathing became short pants with the increase of pace. Every so often I would glance back, judging how far away the Leather Dude was.

"Shit, shit, shit," I chanted to the pounding of our feet against the title when I saw he was getting closer. Dammit, it'd been a while since I moved this much.

Cutting around more corners into increasingly less occupied halls, the Doctor lead us right into a radiology room. Pushing us farther into the room, the Doctor spun around, slamming the door into the guy's face and locking it with the sonic screwdriver. At the moment we were safe, but also effectively trapped.

The Doctor did not waste time. He ushered Martha and I into a room with a glass window. Looking around the small room quickly, I saw that it contained the controls, most likely to the radiology machine in the middle of the other room. "When I say _'now'_, press the button," he instructed us. I looked at the controls again. Did he know how many buttons there was? A fucking ton.

"But I don't know which one," Martha shouted at him, confused.

"Then find out!" he yelled before slipping out the door and closing it shut behind him before I could say something sarcastic about how _helpful _he'd been. Martha looked at me, panic filling her eyes. Well, she wasn't the only one. I didn't have a clue either.

"Manual?" I suggested the first thing that came to my mind while trying not to let my frustration at the Doctor's unhelpfulness. Apparently thinking my suggestion was good, Martha dashed over to the near by book shelf. She scoured through the books, desperately trying to find the manual as she casted the useless books to the side. All the while, I continued to intently look at the controls, hoping to figure out which button from observation.

_Smack. _My eyes were drawn to the door. The Leather Guy was trying to bust through it and judging by the creak that followed each smack, he was close to succeeding. In the other room, the Doctor stood by the machine, pulling out wires, realigning the wires, and messing around with the output. Shoving his sonic into the machine he turned the machine till it pointed to the door.

"Found the manual," Martha called out.

"Figured out which button yet," I asked, glancing at her over my shoulder. She stood bent over a black binder, flipping through the pages as fast as humanly possible and speed reading through them.

"No."

"Keep trying," I told her, my eyes going back to scan the rows of buttons. If Martha couldn't find it, I guess I would just have to wing it and pick one. Hearing another smack and a louder creak, I tensed in terror. Leather Dude was almost through the door. "Anything?"

"No!"

A huge crash announced that our time had run out. The wooden door fell with a loud shudder to the tiled floor, and Leather Dude stomped over it, moving toward the Doctor with a murderous intent. Before the assailant could get closer, the Doctor aimed the machine at Leather Dude and yelled out, "Now!"

I glanced at Martha, hysteria filling us both since we still hadn't worked out which button. Shit, shit, shit. Time was up and the Leather Dude was advancing on the Doctor. While mentally cursing the Doctor for not helping, the Leather Dude for trying to kill us, and the door for not being stronger, my eyes glanced all over the controls, hoping something would shout _pick me!_ Unfortunately, nothing did. But as I continued to search, my eyes kept wandering back to one thing.

The largest yellow button.

What the hell. When in doubt go for the most threatening looking button.

I slammed my hand down on the button, praying that I'd made the right choice and did not just kill the Doctor.


	5. Smith & Jones: Lightning Crashes

**Fellowship of Avengers: I'm glad you've enjoyed it so far. He may be one of the oldest creatures in the universe, but he can certainly act like a puppy or child at times. This chapter has more childish Doctor in store. XD**

**The Yoshinator: It usually does. Hopefully this button works. ;)**

**The response on this story has been great! Thank you so much to all those who have alerted, favorited, or reviewed!**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Smith and Jones:  
****Lightning Crashes******

_I ran away. I could not take the burden of both you and me.  
_- Mumford and Sons

* * *

A flash of bright blue erupted from the other room, completely enveloping it and leaving me blind to the scene unfolding within.

I squeezed my eyes shut at the harshness of the light, waiting until it finally stopped. When the light seemed to have disappeared and the machined seemed to have cut off, I cautiously glanced into the other room, hoping with all my heart to see the Doctor was fine. A breath of relief left my lips as did the tension in my shoulders when I saw the Doctor standing beside the machine, safe and sound. Good, I really didn't want to be the one to kill him. Martha came to stand beside me, clearly relieved when she saw the Doctor was alright as well.

"Good job," she told me, "How did you know which button to push?"

"I didn't," I answered truthfully.

She looked at me with wide, surprised eyes but her reply was cut off when the Leather Dude suddenly crumpled forward like a board of wood, landing face first onto the tile with a heavy thud. Well, he certainly wasn't alright. Serves him right for trying to kill us. The Doctor took a step over him towards the glass window of the gamma protected room that we stood behind. Martha turned to look at the body, dumbfounded. "What did you do?"

"Increased the radiation five thousand percent. Killed him dead," the Doctor replied as if it was the simplest thing in the world while my eyes nearly popped from my head. Wow. That was a lot of radiation. Yeah, it bet that killed him. I didn't question how the Doctor was still alive after exposure to that level of harmful radiation. He was a Time Lord. It took _a lot _to kill a Time Lord, I knew especially since they had that little cheat death trick called regeneration.

"But isn't that gonna kill you?" she asked in heavy concern.

"Nahh," he said carelessly, "it's only radiation. We used to play with Roentgen bricks in the nursery."

That's one hell of nursery," I muttered, Martha nodding in agreement to my statememt.

"It's safe for you to come out, I've absorbed it all. All I need to do is expel it."

Hesitant and unsure if the radiation was truly gone, Martha and I slowly left the safety of the glass room. All the while, the Doctor began to shake and shudder, doing a little twitching dance. His face contorted into an amusing, scrunched up expression that suggested he had a terrible itch he could not reach.

"If I concentrate I can shake the radiation out of my body and into one spot. It's in my left shoe. Here we go, here we go, easy does it…" he started to bounce and hope around, shaking his left foot. "Out, out, out, out, out. Out, out, ah, ah, ah, ah. It is, it is, it is, it is, it is hot. Ah - hold on," he whipped off his shoe and sock, all in one, before throwing into the lined wastebasket in the corner of the room "Done."

He turned to Martha and me, his expression every bit one of a manic with his wild hair and wide eyes. Martha's eyes look about ready to pop out of her head when she stated, "You're completely mad."

In complete seriousness the Doctor stated, "You're right. I look daft with one shoe." And with that, he ripped off his other shoe and sock and tossed into the trash to join its' twins.

Alright, at one point I was ready to scream and yell at the Doctor for being no help at all and nearly causing his own death. Then, amusement had overshadowed my anger, seeing him act like a loon during his little dance. So far I'd done a pretty good job of holding my laughter back at his crazy antics. But that final action and Martha's expression of disbelief, broke my resolve and sent me into a small fit of snickers. I knew he was probably one of the oldest creatures in the universe, yet he still acted like a ridiculous child at times. The contrast was amazing and quite amusing.

The Doctor wiggled his toes, stating with a grin, "Barefoot on the moon! Like you Anya."

"Yeah, like me," I agreed with a small smile, recovering slightly from my laughter and taking a glance at my own bare feet. It was a relief to me that I hadn't stepped on anything dangerous or sharp during our chase. That would have sucked and hurt like a bitch, especially if we were to run any more, which was extremely probable. Whenever the Doctor's around - there was a large amount of running involved.

"So what's that thing," Martha asked, referring to the body on the floor. Oh, we would probably need to get rid of that soon. Wouldn't want the Judoon to execute the Doctor for murder and Martha and I for accessory to murder before we could find the alien and save everyone. The medical student traveled to the mass of black leather and crouched down beside it. "And where's it from? The planet Zovirax?"

Coming to a crouch on the other side, the Doctor said, "It's just a Slab. They're called Slabs. Basic slave drones, d'you see,Solid leather, all the way through." He said, squeezing it's arm to prove his point.

"Kinky," I stated. A grin played along my lips.

He sent me a small smirk at my comment. "Someone's got one hell of a fetish," the Time Lord agreed before standing up. I snorted while he went back to the altered x-ray camera.

"It came with that woman, Mrs. Finnegan. It was working for her. Just like a servant," Martha told him, but the Doctor wasn't paying that much attention to her. His eyes zeroed in on the mechanism in front of him.

Tentatively, he retrieved his sonic screwdriver out of the machine. Mourning glazed over his eyes as he saw the crispy state of the device. It was dead. For sure. Burnt to a crisp. "My sonic screwdriver," the Doctor whined, gently holding it.

Ignoring him, Martha tried to inform the Doctor of her earlier findings. "She was one of the patients but-"

"It burnt out my sonic screwdriver!"

"She had this straw, like some sort of vampire -"

"I love my sonic screwdriver."

"Doctor!" Martha cried out in frustration, finally getting fed up with being ignored.

"Sorry," he turned towards her, tossing the screwdriver over his shoulder. A loud clutter rang out from where ever it landed and I winced at the sound. A smile broke out across his face as he realized something. "You called me Doctor."

"From that entire conversation, that's what you pick up on," I asked in slight disbelief. Personally I would have gone for the killer old vampire lady that used a straw to suck people's blood. Hmm, that would make an interesting story, especially with the twist of the old lady being a vampire. He simply shrugged.

Wanting to move on, Martha said, "Anyway! Miss Finnegan is the alien. She was drinking Mr. Stoker's blood."

At the vampire analogy, I joked, "Then we need some wooden stakes and holy water." Martha just sent a 'be quiet' look my way, clearly wanting to remained focus on the danger at hand.

"Funny time to take a snack, you'd think she'd be hiding, unless..." the Doctor's expression turned into one of deep contemplation, his eyes moving as if he was visually sorting through the thoughts that filled his large mind. His eyebrows furrowed, and Martha and I just sat back and watched his mini internal debate. Suddenly his eyes sparked as realization struck him like a bolt of lightning. "No. Yes, that's it, wait a minute. Yes! Shape-changer. Internal shape-changer. She wasn't drinking blood, she was _assimilating_ it."

"If that's true, then you'll be the only non-human to appear on the scans," I said. Pride uplifted me because of the fact I was able to catch on to what he was saying instead of being left to wander in the dark.

"Yes," the Doctor nodded. "Bad news for me."

"Good news for her, though."

"What?" Martha asked, not following just yet.

"If she can assimilate Mr. Stoker's blood," he explained with an admirable energy and helpful hand motions. "She can mimic the biology. She'll register as human! We've got to find her and show the Judoon. Come on!"

Once again, we were back to running.

We sprinted out of the room, making our way down another empty hall. Though this time we didn't get far. Not even halfway down the corridor before the Doctor spotted another leather Slab. He pushed us into a dead-end where we hid behind a water cooler. Tense silence pressed down on us as we waited to see if we were safe or not. The Slab walked right past, not even noticing us as he kept going, the sounds of his footsteps fading away. I let out a breath of relief I didn't know I was holding in. When it was out of hearing distance the Doctor muttered, "That's the thing about Slabs. They always travel in pairs."

"And what about you?" Martha questioned.

"What about me?"

"Haven't you got back-up? You must have a partner or something."

Or a companion, I thought as a pretty face and blonde hair suddenly appeared in my mind. Over my shoulder I glanced back at the Doctor who seemed taken back by the medical student's inquiry. "Uh. Humans!" He stated, not wanting to breach the topic of partners or companions. "We're stuck on the Moon, running out of air, with Judoon and a bloodsucking criminal, and you're asking personal questions. Come on."

He rose to his feet cautiously with me following right behind him. A beat behind us, Martha scoffed, "Oh I like that, 'humans!' I'm still not convinced you're an alien."

The Doctor stepped out of the corridor and found a blue light pointed in his face. Oh great, I thought, seeing three Judoon staring us down. My body suddenly froze at the sight of their large figures, fear chilling my veins as my mind could only process one thought - _oh shit, oh shit. _The device beeped. "Non-human," the Judoon grunted, putting up the scanner.

Looking at him with wide eyes, Martha stated, "Oh my God. You really are."

Somehow I was able to respond to that. "Yeah," my voice slightly annoyed that she just _now_ accepted this fact. "What have I been telling you for the past twenty minutes?!"

"And again," the Doctor nearly groaned and grabbed our hands once again for another bout of running.

Quickly turning around, we careened down the corridor, skidding across the floor as we made another sharp right turn, right as the Judoon start to fire their weapons. As red lasers shot towards us, we ducked down, none of us wanting to get hit. "Not fair," I mumbled, pursing my lips in a slight pout. Really? We didn't have weapons, and it was only fair they shouldn't either.

Hurtling our bodies forward, we bursted through another set of doors, finding ourselves within the stairwell once again. We raced up the flight of stairs in record time before shooting off into another hallway. The Doctor locked the door behind us. I didn't voice my concern of how well a wooden door would stand up to a Rhino with a laser gun, especially since we all knew how doors had been so useful to block Leather Dude.

In the hallway crowded with only humans, we decided to walk, trying to catch our breath like those around us. I certainly was getting some exercise from all of this. The oxygen had begun to run out I realized for the first time as I saw people falling to the ground and gasping for air. So far, my body and mind had been concentrating on running and finding the alien, so it wasn't that much of a surprise that this realization just struck me.

The Doctor, though most likely upset and concerned about the other occupants situations, continued on. He and I both knew there was only one thing that could fix this - finding the alien. "They've done this floor. Come on," he ushered us forward, "The Judoon are logical and just a little bit thick. They won't go back to check a floor they've checked already. If we're lucky."

"So far we've been pretty lucky," I stated to bring some hope. The Doctor and I stopped when we noticed the lack of a medical student walking at our sides. Martha crouched down beside a woman in a white coat - another doctor - who strained in her effort to help the patients around her put on oxygen masks.

Leaning over her with worry in her eyes, Martha asked, "How much oxygen is there?"

"Not enough for all these people. We are gonna run out" the woman replied solemnly. She glanced up to where the Doctor and I stood, her eyes suddenly expanding as she looked at me. "Is that Sleeping Beauty?"

Confusion struck me. _Sleeping Beauty? _Why the hell would she call me that? "No," I automatically responded, shifting slightly uncomfortably. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

Before the woman could question me further, the Doctor asked, "How are you two feeling? Are you alright"

"Running on adrenalin," she smiled.

"Well I haven't collapsed and died yet, so I think I'm doing alright," I responded, shooting him a thankful look for interrupting the woman.

The Doctor commented with a small, coy smirk, "Welcome to my world."

"And what a world it is."

"What about the Judoon," Martha questioned.

"Yeah, if they're affected by the oxygen loss, won't they need to add more," I continued her inquiry. Honestly, I hoped what I said was true. It would give us more time and the people a better chance of surviving. Though, the Judoon were intergalactic asshole thugs. They wouldn't be that courteous.

My hopes were shot down when the Doctor answered. "Nah, great big lung reserves, it won't slow them down. Where's Mr. Stoker's office?"

She rose to her feet, panting lightly. It seemed with our stop, her adrenaline had depleted some. "It's this way." This time, Martha took the lead, showing us the way. Turning a corner and traveling down a very short hallway, we came to the not very far away office. Upon entering, I spotted a pair of legs on the floor, the rest of the body obstructed by the desk. There was no killer old lady to be seen, since that of course would be too easy for us. The Doctor immediately went to kneel beside the corpse.

"She's gone! She was here!" Martha stated, a little outraged at those facts.

The Doctor continued to look over the body, his eyes scanning over it attentively. The former Mr. Stoker laid stiff as a board on his back with skin unnaturally pale and a small puncture wound stained red with dried blood on his neck. "Drained him dry," he reported. "Every last drop. I was right. She's a plasmavore."

"Not a vampire?" I asked. The Doctor nodded his head. "Well, holy water and wooden stakes won't help us then."

"What's she doing on Earth?"

"Looking for a place to live?" I voiced my own thoughts, needing to throw my opinion out there. "Or to hide, maybe. And what better place than a hospital? With a blood bank near by, she would have all the food she needed."

He confimred, "Hiding, on the run. Like Ronal Biggs in Rio de Janeiro. But what's she doing now?" The Time Lord asked, confused about her actions. "She's still not safe, the Judoon could execute us all." Rising to his feet, the Doctor started on his way out the door. "Come on."

"Wait a minute," Martha's voice stopped us both before we ran out of the room in our urgency. We turned to look at her curiously but everything came into perspective as Martha bent down over Mr. Stoker and gently closed his eyes. Respect towards Martha and her small act of humanity filled me. I didn't even know the guy, but I still felt thankful for her sentiment and consideration. For that I gave her a small smile, making sure she caught it and knew my respect towards her. She smiled back.

Then we left the office.

As we did so, the Doctor ran his hand through his hair - something I was learning to be a habit of his apparently. "Think, think, think," he canted out loud. "If I was a wanted Plasmavore, surrounded by police, what would I do-" For a moment he was quiet, before his eye caught something that seemed to have pieced everything together. "Ahh, she's as clever as me. Almost."

Curious, I followed his gaze to the bright red sigh that screamed out the location of the MRI. "What is she going to use the MRI to do?" I questioned.

Before I could get my answer, a loud _bang_ came from the other end of the hallway. Screams filled the air as the humans once again began to panic at the sight of the Judoon spilling into the corridor. "Find the non-human! Execute!" One of them loudly grunted the orders. Oh shit.

I was about to start running again, but the Doctor rested a hand on Martha's and I's shoulders, stopping us from taking off. He ordered us, "Stay here-"

"-with them," I asked incredulously, jerking a thumb over my shoulder in the direction of the incoming Rhino thugs. "Hell no."

"Anya," he hissed, giving me an expression that suggested I needed to shut up. Just to spite him, I usually would have not listened, but the life or death situation called for my silence. So when I did shut up, he continued. "I need time. You're going to have to hold them up."

"How do I do that?" Martha questioned, taking an almost fearful glance at the Judoon.

The Doctor looked in between the two of us before his eyes settled onto the medical student. Staring at Martha with a dead serious gaze, he said, "Martha, forgive me for this. It's to save a thousand lives, it means nothing. Honestly, _nothing_." And with that, he grabbed her face and crushed his lips to hers.

With eyes widening to the size of saucers, I let out an awkward cough and turned away slightly. Heat rushed to my cheeks. Wow, I, like Martha, had not expected that at _all. _That was quite a goodbye. Even when the Doctor pulled back a few seconds later, Martha still had her eyes closed as if she was still feeling some sort of ecstasy from his kiss.

I was going to tease her about it, until I felt familiar hands cradle my face. Staring up at the Doctor, I raised a questioning brow, feeling heat gather even more in my cheeks as he gently brushed them with his thumbs. "What do you think~" the rest of my sentence got cut off when he pressed his lips against mine.

His lips muffled my yelp of surprise while my hands flailed awkwardly at my sides. As he continued to move his actually soft lips against mine, my eyes nearly bulged from my skull. What the hell was he doing? Or rather what the hell was he trying to accomplish by kissing Martha then me?

When he released my lips and face after a few more seconds of kissing, I stumbled back away from him, panting slightly. My eyes, wide and bright with confusion at his actions, continued to stare at him, trying to search his face and deep eyes for some hidden motive. Instinct flared to life within me and I listened to it by punching him in the nose once again.

"Ow!" The Doctor cried out, hands shooting up to cradle his hurt nose. "Why do you keep doing that?"

"Why do you keep getting up in my face?!" I retorted. My voice might have been quieter as it tends to do when I get emotional, but it still packed its punch.

The Doctor let out a large breath of irritation before he rushed down the hallway, leaving behind a lovestruck, or rather kissedstruck Martha and a frazzled, irritated me. Well, I now understood why Martha looked so pleased - he wasn't that bad of a kisser. Still irritated with him, I shoved those thoughts away. He might have been good at kissing, but it still didn't give him a right to just kiss somebody out of the blue. He deserved that punch.

After the Doctor ran off, Martha finally came out of her pleasurable haze. "That was nothing?" She breathed, her eyes still glazed over a bit.

"Yeah, apparently," I huffed, obviously not falling for his spell.

Jumping back into business, Martha turned to look at me, her face once again the serious doctor. Good, I didn't want to deal with a crushing schoolgirl in this possible lethal situation. "We should stand in the middle of the hallway to cut off the Judoon."

"Sure," I nodded in agreement. We situated ourselves in the middle of the hall, staring ahead as the black armored executioners charged towards us. The military beat of their march pounded in my ears, filling them along with the whimpers of the cowering humans at their feet. Each step they took, brought them closer, and closer. Fear reared its ugly head, clutching onto my heart with its poisonous claws. It filled my veins and lungs with ice, chilling my body and making it more difficult to breathe in the already low oxygen environment.

With only a few feet away, they stalked right up to Martha. She tried to reason with them when they approached, "Now, listen. I know who you're looking for. She's this woman. She calls herself Florence."

Instead of listening to what she was trying to explain, the first Judoon pulled out a scanner and shinned the blue light into her face. "Human," he stated but then a weird noise emanated from the device. "Wait. Non-human element confirmed. Authorize full scan." Suddenly, he shoved Martha against the wall. The other rhinos formed a circle around them, aiming their weapons at her. "What are you? What are you?" He continued to repeat as he scanned her again.

"Anya," she said. Her fear was obvious in her expression, yet she stayed strong, knowing that this was giving the Doctor the time he needed to save us all. But it seemed, Martha needed some help as well.

I took a step forward, trying to think of some way I could possibly help her. But then a Judoon aimed its weapon at me. Staring down the barrel of the laser gun, my breath hitched in my throat and my heart faltered for a second. I didn't want to be executed, I suddenly realized. Hell, I just woke up from a coma. I had a life to live now. Dammit! I didn't want to die now! Not so soon!

The rhino took another step closer to me and any thought of helping Martha was cleared from my mind. The only thing left in my mind was an impulse, something buried deep within me. It whispered to me to get out, to leave, to run far far away in the sake of self-preservation. My growing, chilling fear only gave strength to it.

With pleading eyes, I glanced back at the fearful Martha."I'm so sorry," I gently whispered before I took off down the hallway.

"Anya!" She yelled out my name after my retreating figure, over and over again as if it would bring me back to help her.

I ignored it, allowing the beat of my fearful heart and the slap of my feet on the tile to fill my ears and mask over her cries that just made me feel terrible in guilt.

Besides, I knew deep down I couldn't help her. Not in that situation with the Judoon who could have killed us both with no thought by just pulling a fragile trigger. If I tried to help, I probably would have done more harm than good.

More than anything, I wanted to lie to myself, to pretend there was a real reason as to why I left Martha to fend for herself that would make me seem more good then I actually was. But I had no lie to even tell myself. In all honestly, I couldn't help her for the same reason I couldn't have used that scalpel.

I was too afraid.

I was too much of a coward.

So I ran away.


	6. Smith & Jones: Intentions Fall

**Fellowship of Avengers: No you can't keep him. Sorry, Anya's got dibs on him already. XD **

**The Yoshinator: Martha's not anything. She's just a human. The reason why the Judoon thinks she is an alien is because she kissed one and the scanners are detecting the Doctor's DNA from the kiss.**

**Also, there is a shift in POV in this chapter. Whenever I need to show a different POV, it will shift to third person and focus solely on the thoughts of that one character. In this case it is the Doctor's. This will not happen often- just when its needed.**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Smith and Jones:  
****Intentions Fall**

_Is there anything you wanna know?_ _The future's for discovering, t__he space in which we're travelling, f__rom the top of the first page t__o the end of the last day__. _  
- Coldplay

* * *

_Run._

The single word was the only clarity in my clouded mind. It was the impulse, made powerful by my fear, that controlled my body; it caused my heart to beat against my chest, my eyes to stay locked forward, and my legs to keep moving. Walls and people in the hospital blurred into streaks as I rushed past them, barely noticing them as I was completely absorbed by that not so little impulse.

I was desperate to get away.

_Run._

I continued to run, finding it to be the only thing I could do. I needed to put as much distance from me and the Judoon as I could. I need to get away from them and from the possible death that awaited me.

Eventually when I thought I was finally safe from certain death, I stumbled to a stop.

Because I had ran at such a vigorous pace, my lungs burned in agony as I braced myself against a white wall. A hand clutched my chest as I tried to catch my breath, taking large gulps of well needed oxygen. Well, trying to but breathing was difficult in the low oxygen air. Damn moon and its no oxygen atmosphere. My legs and feet started to ache, the muscles throbbing slightly in their soreness. After so long without movement, my body was certainly making up for it and it hurt like a bitch.

As I continued to try to regain my senses, my ears detected a distant humming sound. I looked down the hall to where it emanated from. An unnatural bright light flooded into the hallway from a room, making it known to me something wrong was happening. Overwhelming curiosity replaced the fear in my heart and suddenly I was walking towards the light.

It was probably a bad idea, but I did it anyway. I was thankful, though for the reason that remained in my mind, continuing to battle with my recklessness and causing me to be actually cautious as I approached the most likely dangerous light.

The humming increased the closer I approached and the light continued to grow brighter. Finally reaching the doorway, I noticed the sign that read MRI on the wall beside.

Cautiously, I peaked my head through nearly wincing at the bright light that bore into my eyes. An MRI scanner filled one wall of the simple room, and around it occasional arcs of blue lightning sparked, illuminating the other wise would be dim room. Another Slab of black leather stood near the center of the room with its back partially to me. The Doctor slumped against it, the leather arms the only thing holding him up in its cage-like grip. His neck stretched at an odd, sure to be uncomfortable angle while an old lady sucked his blood from his neck with a straw.

So that's the plasmavore, I managed to think before my heart practically stopped. Panic raced through me, freezing me to that spot. Emotions coursed through me, creating a wild tempest of mostly concern for the Doctor, anger at the plasmavore and the Doctor, fear for the Doctor, Martha, the people in the hospital and me.

With a spinning mind, I managed to think what the hell had the Doctor done? He was a powerful Time Lord, and a brilliant one at that. He was too clever to be caught, especially when there was a hospital full of innocent people who only he could save because I certainly had no fucking clue how to. He'd saved whole planets before, why couldn't he be able to save a thousand more lives?

Muffling a groan of frustration, I bit my lip and clenched my fists, damning and cursing the Doctor, the Judoon, Mrs. Finnegan, me, my cowardliness, my uselessness, and everything wrong with the situation. There had to be some way I could do something to help without getting myself killed or fucking something up and killing us all.

Coming up with nothing, I glared in hate at the old lady that was still sucking up the Doctor's blood and most likely assimilating it as well.

_Assimilating the Doctor's blood. She's assimilating Time Lord aka alien blood._

It was as if lightning had struck me.

Suddenly everything was thrown into perspective and I understood the Doctor's plan. Oh, I knew he was a clever bastard- one that was willing to give his life to save others. But I couldn't help but think how risky this plan of his was. There was no guarantee the Judoon would find the plasmavore since they were thick assholes before she killed us all. There was no guarantee that the Doctor would survive having all of his blood consumed or be able to shut of the MRI turned weapon.

My mind raged against itself, trying to decide what I needed to do. One voice screamed at me to run away again, another said to try to stop Mrs. Finnegan, and the last one suggested to do nothing and let the Doctor's plan play out. Well, each option had problems within them.

Number 1- running away would just put me back in a helpless position alone or I would run into the Judoon. Not good.

Number 2- most likely the Slab would stop me before I could do anything and then she would drink my blood. Essh, not a good way to go and she would assimilate my human blood, ruining the Doctor's plan. Also not good.

Number 3- my mind would suffer in constant worry and panic as I stood back and did nothing. In addition, I would be forced to place some trust in the Doctor and his plan. Trust, I already knew was something I lacked in.

For several moments, I gauged all the possibilities, finally concluding that my best option was the last one. It was the only one that held a higher likelihood of me and everyone else surviving. I glanced back at the Doctor, hesitating for a moment. Could I actually trust him? A man who breathed over me in a coma and then lied to me for the first hour he'd known me.

Even though he might have lied to me towards the beginning, the rest of the time he had done nothing but help me and tried to save all the people in the hospital. And I also knew him, oh so well...kinda. I'd looked into his mind and experienced his life. He was so much, it was hard to describe. But the important basics of him I'd been able to understand was that he was a man whose lived so many years, suffered alone for so many years after the fall of his world. And yet he has sacrificed and done so much in the name of helping others despite it all. He was the knight in shinning armor, or the good wizard if this was some sort of twisted fairy tale.

So, I pushed any uncomfortable feelings or doubting thoughts away and for once put some trust in another person instead of my own strength.

"You better prove me right, Doctor," I whispered in a threatening yet hopeful voice as I slithered back into the hallway. Turning around, I found myself staring into an ugly Rhino face of a Judoon. Just my luck. He brought up his scanner, shinning its bright light into my face and causing me to blink at the blue harshness.

"Human," he grunted before a familiar odd beep came from the scanner.

Here we go.

"Non-human element confirmed. Authorize full scan." It took nearly all of my will power not to punch him in his big rhino face as he roughly shoved and held me against the wall and stuck his scanner closer to my face. My pent-up anger and frustration at everything was slipping out. Biting on my lip, I held back every curse word I knew while he continued to question and scan me. "What are you? What are you?"

Rolling my eyes, I gritted out, "Human. Can't your littler scanner tell?"

A minute or two of questioning and scanning on the Judoon's part eventually led to him concluding, "Confirmed: human. Traces of facial contact with non-human. You'll need this." He handed me a slip of paper full of black boxes and symbols that made no sense to me. "Compensation." Ahh, that made sense. For a brief moment I wondered how much it was worth and where I could use it.

Thundering footsteps came towards me. Turning my head, I saw the platoon of Judoon before marching towards me. Guilt made its unwanted appearance as well when I saw Martha trailing along after them. I avoided her gaze, choosing to watch the intergalactic thugs parade past me and burst through the door of the MRI room.

I followed after them, pushing through the crowd to the front along with Martha. From this angle I was able to see the Doctor laying on the floor, his face slack, eyes closed, and no sign of life within him. One of the Judoon scanned him and called out, "Confirmation: deceased."

I tried not to freak out about the declaration on the Doctor's living status, trying to remind myself that this was a part of his plan, that he was going to be okay and so was everyone else, and that I had decided to place trust and faith in him. It took an enormous amount of self-control to continue to do nothing and to keep my trust strong enough.

"No, he can't be," Martha stated with disbelief. She tried to break through to get to him, but a Judoon held both of us back. "Let me through, let me see him."

"Stop," one creature commanded, "Case closed."

Martha pointed towards the killer old lady, "But I was her. She killed him. She did it. She murdered him."

"The Judoon have no authority over human crime."

"But she's not even _human_," I protested. "She's a fucking alien!"

"Oh, but I am," she stated. I glared at her, the underlying smugness of her voice scrapping against my ears like nails on a chalkboard. Holding up one wrinkled hand, she proudly displayed the black _X _that marked the skin. "I've been catalogued."

"Well check her again! I will bet everything you'll get different results."

"She's not. She assimil-" Realization suddenly dawned upon Martha, finally. "Wait a minute. You drank his blood. The Doctor's blood." Pivoting, the medical student swiped a scanner from a Judoon and began to scan the old lady.

The old hag began to gloat, not discerning that the Doctor had out smarted her, "Oh, I don't mind. Scan all you like."

Interrupting the results, the leader stated, "Non-human."

Whoop, there it is.

Suddenly, the old hag wasn't as confident. I gave her a small smirk as her easily smugness completely fractured. "What?"

"Confirm analysis."

Panic overwhelmed the plasmavore as the Judoon shined several blue lights into her face. She began to stutter, trying to come up with something that would stop their probe that was sure to expose her. "Oh, but it's a mistake, surely...I'm human...I'm as human as they come."

"He gave his life so they'd find you," Martha nearly whimpered.

Trying to give her some form of hope and comfort, I whispered, "He's probably not dead yet. It will take a lot more than a simple old lady to kill the Doctor." She glanced at me in surprise, though she never got the chance to reply.

The Judoon read out the results of the second analysis as they came up. "Confirmed: Plasmavore. Charged you with the crime of murdering the princess of Patrival Regency Nine."

"She deserved it!" Mrs. Finnegan sneered. Clearly she didn't understand the phrase 'anything you say can and will be held against you.' "Those pink cheeks and those blond curls and that simpering voice. She was begging for the bite of a plasmavore."

"Do you confess?"

"Confess? I'm proud of it! Slab - stop them!"

As the plasmavore retreated into the control room, the Slab took a step foward. One Judoon fired its gun, and in one shot the Slab disintegrated. That was some weapon I thought as my eyes widened. Behind the glass, Mrs. Finnegan began to twist knobs and jam circuits together in some kind of last ditch effort to kill us all. Alarms blared to life. Oh, that wasn't good, I thought as Martha pulled me down to a crouch beside her.

The platoon leader declared his orders, "Verdict: guilty. Sentence: execution."

"Enjoy your victory, Judoon, because you're going to burn with me. Burn in hell," the woman screeched manically as if she thought she would still win in the end. All at once, the Judoon fired. Boiling streams of red melted a hole through the window as if the protective glass was wax. The beams blistered right through, wrapping the plasmavore in its deadly light, burning her into nothing and halting her last screams.

"Case closed."

As the executioners put away their guns, Martha and I crawled towards where the Doctor laid on the ground.

"What did she mean, _burn with me_? The scanner shouldn't be doing that. She's done something," she accused, pointing over to the machine. Another arc of lightning shot across from the room. The tunnel of the scanner was becoming a hollow light storm that spat out pure, dangerous power.

A Judoon lifted up a scanner towards the permute MRI machine, causing a bright light to flash. "Scans detect lethal acceleration of mono-magnetic pulse."

"Well, do something! Stop it," Martha demanded.

"Our jurisdiction has ended. Judoon will evacuate."

"What the hell?" I cried in disbelief that they weren't even going to try to help. "You're supposed to be police, do something! What about all the people here?! Including us?!"

"You can't just leave it. What's it going to do," Martha asked.

"All units withdraw," the leader ordered into some kinda of device that I guessed was a communicator. In an instant the Judoon started to file out the door, leaving pretty much all of us to die. Wow, what a bunch of assholes.

Martha chased after them. Glancing through the open door way, I saw her standing in the middle of the hall, screaming in anger after their retreating figures. "You can't go. That thing's going to explode and it's all your fault!"

They just continued on their way.

After she realized they weren't going to do anything, Martha raced back into the room, already panting as the oxygen continued to deplete. "Do you know how to do CPR?" she asked me as she kneeled on the other-side of the Doctor. Searching through the basic knowledge that was left untouched in my mind, I nodded when I discovered I actually did know how to do CPR. At least there was some useful information in there. "Good. You start the compressions, I'll breathe."

"One two, three, four, five," I counted, pressing my palms to his sternum frantically. Martha leaned down and pressed her open mouth to his, breathing into him. "One, two, three, four, five." With worry, I looked at the slack face of the Doctor, waiting for him to jump back to life, but it didn't seem to be working. Again I counted while Martha gasped for another collection of air. We both panted, the effort becoming strenuous as more and more precious oxygen left. I was about to pump his chest again, my mind cursing him and wondering why CPR wasn't working when a sudden revelation widened my eyes. He was a Time Lord with..."Two hearts!" I gasped out when Martha look me curiously.

"One, two, three, four, five." I pressed down on one side of his chest over one heart, then the other. "One, two, three, four, five."

Drawing one great breathe, Martha breathed into the Doctor. Instantly, he jolted up, greedily gasping for the little amount of air that remained. Martha slumped to the floor, the strain becoming to much for her. She tried to stay conscious, fighting desperately for more oxygen. "The scanner. She did something," she croaked out with a last effort.

And with that Martha was down, and I was not far behind her. Complete exhaustion weighed down on me and I stretched myself across the cold tile, struggling slightly as my breath rattled in my chest. The inhalations themselves started to become shallower and shallower pants. The Doctor glanced at Martha and then me in concern. "I...trusted your...plan," I admitted, taking greedy gulps of breath and gasping in between the words. "And...it...worked...now go...fix..that damn...machine...before it...kills us...please."

He sent me a small smile for a brief second before it was consumed with his serious determination. Coughing and sputtering, the Doctor got to his knees and began to crawl towards the MRI control room. Black spots blinked across my vision and somehow I managed to heard him rattling by the mess of wires over the blaring sound of the alarm that warned us of the rapidly oncoming end. Lightning danced across the ceiling, flashing bright with its power but it seemed as if color was fading from the world. Suddenly, the power wined as if it had been unplugged. Footsteps padded close to me and the Time Lord's face appeared into my line of sight. He bent over to pick up Martha and the proceed to carry her out the door in a bridal style hold.

I tried to move in order to follow after, not wanting to be left behind, but by the loud cry of protest from my body, I discovered I no longer had the strength to do anything besides lay on the floor. Breathing started to become very difficult as did staying awake. Consciousness became too laboring, too strenuous and too painful. Only vaguely aware of my surroundings, the ground beneath me started to shake and rumble.

But soon an ocean of dark and silence rolled in, quickly enveloping any and all sensation until there was nothing.

* * *

A wonderful warmth encased my body as a feeling of weightlessness took over me.

My body swayed gently as I let out a content sigh, involuntarily snuggling closer towards the source of the warmth. Sensation suddenly began to come back to me, drawing me out of that damned darkness and into the real world. A pleasant scent of fresh mint and old wood reach my nose as my eyes started to blink open.

Soft groans slipped from my lips when my eyes had to readjust to the light. Vision finally started to work again and I glanced up to see the face of the Doctor. Surprise jolted my body which rested in his arms as he carried me through the lobby of the hospital like some kind of bride or damsel.

"W-what the hell," I sputtered out, squirming slightly in his arms and catching the Doctor's attention. His grip tightened around me.

Crisp air blew over me as we stepped out of the hospital and into another form of chaos. People argued, cried, and laughed while they clutched onto loved ones they thought they'd lost. Sirens permeated the air as well, bringing me notice of all the ambulances, police cars, and news vans that swarmed the outside of the hospital. "Welcome to Earth, Sleeping Beauty," he smiled down at me.

I scoffed at that and rolled my eyes "Really? So does that make you my knight shinning armor?"

"I rescued you, so I suppose it does," he replied with a larger, teasing smile.

"Some rescue. I saved you first, remember? You died by allowing a plasmavore to drink your blood, stupid. Martha and I were the ones that exposed her to the Judoon. And then while the oxygen was running out, we still managed to save your ass. So really you're the damsel in distress. I'm the ass kicking knight," I concluded with a smirk.

"Riiiight," the Doctor chuckled as he weaved between the crowds of people and started to cross the street.

"Damn right." I nodded. Once again I writhed in his arms. My pride took a blow as he continued to carry me as if we were newly weds, which we certainly _weren't._"You know, I am actually capable of walking now."

"Are you?"

"Yes, so put me down before I punch you again."

Even without my added threat, the Doctor began to set me down on my feet, keeping one hand on my upper arm as if he was afraid I was going to stumble. The concrete felt weird on my bare feet that had only traveled across smooth title since I had awoken. But I didn't mind; it felt great to be outside with the sun shinning down on me instead of overhead lights after so long in that hospital. It was almost a relief. I adjusted my stance a few times, eventually finding a good grip.

The Doctor's eyes never left me, a small smile tugging at his lips as he watched me adjust to the world around me. Apparently it was a big moment, like a baby's first steps. "Ready?"

"Yeah."

"Come along then." For about the third time, he grabbed my hand and used it to drag me across the street towards a big blue box parked by some bushes. I couldn't keep the smile from my face as I saw it, the Doctor's fond memories of all of his adventures and of the wonderful TARDIS filling my mind. Walking towards the box, he took a glance back towards the hospital. I looked as well to see Martha standing beside an ambulance and a woman who continued to talk at her, not even knowing that Martha's attention had strayed else where. The Doctor gave her a small wave and I smiled. A police car passed by blocking her from view.

He grinned widely at me and with dramatic push, opened the doors. "Anya, welcome to the TARDIS."

Stepping inside, I already knew what it was going to look like from the Doctor's mind, but that foreknowledge could not have prepared me for the magnificent sight. I stood on a metal grated ramp that led directly up to the TARDIS console. The console itself was large, full of seemingly random objects like buttons, knobs, bells, and levers that somehow controlled this space and time traveling ship. A large tube that stretched from the ceiling pierced through the center of the console. The entire console room was huge. The walls curved and were spotted with honeycomb shaped lights that sometimes doubled as windows. Large winding coral pillars spiraled up to the lighted ceiling all across the room while some wires looped all over the place. From his memories, I knew that thousands of other rooms occupied the many dimensions within the TARDIS.

I let out a small laugh, my saucer-sized eyes drinking in the wonderful sight. "This is pretty awesome," I had to admit even though my simple words could not convey the amazement I truly felt. Traveling up the ramp, I made my way to the console, my shock receding while I quickly adjusted to the greatness.

As I lightly ran my fingers over the many buttons, the Doctor came up beside me, a large grin on his face at my reaction. A low humming noise filled the air as something unfamiliar and foreign tickled at the back of my mind. Emotions- I realized, trying to concentrate on what they were. First it was hesitance and careful caution as if something was unsure about me or maybe a little bit worried. Then those feelings began to fade away as if a decision had been made. Suddenly happiness, excitement, and curiosity sparked as if something was happy to meet me.

"Hello," I replied to the TARDIS.

"She likes you," the Doctor said with a slightly larger smile. "Those feelings are the TARDIS. She's a sentient being."

"And she's awesome."

Setting down my black bag he'd remembered to bring along, he agreed, "Yeah, she is." I smiled at that, understanding how much this big blue box meant to him and how much he meant to her. "Well, so you probably would like to get out of that robe and nightgown, am I right?"

"Yes."

"Go through there. First left, second right, third on the left, go straight ahead, under the stairs, past the bins, it's the fifth door on your left, and you'll find the wardrobe," the Doctor instructed, pointing towards a certain direction.

"What?"

"If you get lost don't worry, just ask the TARDIS for help and she'll lead you the right way."

"Alright," I simply replied, trying not to even confuse my self with those ridiculous directions. "See you in a bit."

I gave the Doctor a small smile, before heading off in the direction he told me and praying I didn't wind up falling into the pool or something instead of the closet.

* * *

The Doctor gave Anya a little wave as she turned around to start on her way to the closet. He kept his eyes on her retreating figure, waiting for her to disappear around the corner.

Once sure that she was gone, the Doctor leaned back against the console, sighing as his mind spun, round and round in endless circles. This day had proved to be very interesting, first with the sudden trip to the moon that led to the fiasco with the Judoon and the search for the plasmavore which he'd taken care of and then with the discovery of Anya who still presented quite the mystery.

Her coma and amnesia, which he concluded to be induced, was odd, but the true mystery the Doctor found himself baffled by was Anya herself.

She wasn't suppose to exist.

As a Time Lord, the Doctor was burdened with the ability to see wether an object is fixed within time or in flux. It's how he saw the Universe- every waking second he could see what is, what was, what could be, and what must not be. At some point in time, every thing and every one became a fact within the Universe.

Expect for Anya.

She was in a constant flux, allowing time and space to completely revolve around her, never touching her and never stoping. Events around her could be thrown into flux even if they were supposed to be set within stone, and that was just because of her presences. She didn't fit within the Universe. She was the glitch in the system, the abnormality that was never meant to be.

She was _impossible_.

She didn't make _any_ _sense_.

Trying to think of ways how she could possibly exists caused even the Doctor's head to ache. And that was only part of the mystery that surrounded her.

Lifting a hand, the Doctor searched through his jacket, pulling out a cream-colored page and an envelope. First, the Doctor unfolded the page he'd torn out of Anya's sketch book. His eyes nearly bored holes into the paper as he started at the picture on it with a great intensity.

With a remarkable talent and precision, someone- he had no doubt it was Anya- had drawn a picture of a police box that was clearly his TARDIS with the label _Sexy_ in one of the bottom corners. He tried to think of an explanation of how Anya would have been able to draw his TARDIS, but he came up with absolutely nothing. He was starting to get a bit frustrated and even more intrigued.

Finding no clues from the drawing, the Doctor put it back into his jacket and looked to the envelope he'd found hidden amongst the many blank pages of Anya's sketchbook. It's color could only be described as TARDIS blue. No stamps adorned it, making it known it'd never had been sent; the envelope was completely blank expect for the word _Doctor_ written across the front.

Wasting no time, the Doctor opened the envelope, only to find a letter inside. Of course, what else would be in an envelope? Curious, the Doctor read the printed words on the page.

_Doctor,_

_I do hope you find this letter before Anya does, because she will not hesitate to read it because of her admirable and damnable curiosity which will just make her confused and will probably do more harm than good. Anyways, if you haven't already decided to ask her to travel with you, I suggest you so do right away. Knowing her, she'll definitely agree. She's always wanted to see the stars, and she deserves to after what she's been through. And knowing you, you'll want her to come with you probably to just solve the mystery that is Anya and her impossiblity. But, Doctor there is a reason to my note to you; I'm asking you to do a favor for me. _

_I want you to take good care of Anya. She will not be your normal companion because she's so much more. She's complicated with her actions and emotions and thoughts. It took me nearly forever to even partially understand her- but that might also be because she's a woman. You know how they are. Hopefully with this note, I can help you start to understand her a bit better and give you a few tips that will save you some headaches. _

_First of all don't let her wander off. She'll cause more trouble. Wait, never mind. That's rubbish advice. She'll wander off despite anything you do and will cause more trouble for you just to spite you. She's a cheeky, curious girl. Just forget that advice. Also, she runs away from problems because she thinks she's afraid, she thinks she's a coward, but she isn't most of the time. With her cowardliness, there is her great courage when it comes to ensuring her well-being or the well-being of those few she's grown to trust. It will take time for her to trust a person, but once she does, she'll raise hell to help them. And as you've probably seen she is fully capable of raising hell. Most importantly, never leave her alone. That is probably, no wait, it _**_is _**_the worst thing you can do to her and you. _

_Doctor, you just lost Rose. Yes, I know about Rose. Don't question how, just keep reading. Your hearts are broken, badly. Don't even try to deny it. Anya's just woken up from an induced coma with none of her memories (that's for a good reason you'll eventually learn), leaving her in a very vulnerable state even if she is too stubborn to admit or show it. Stupid girl. But this is certainly not the time for you or her to be alone. I'm putting her into your hands, Doctor, as much as it kills me inside to let her go. You're the one I trust most, the only one I would trust her with. So just stay with her, Doctor. Help her. Let her grow and shine. Let her help you. Show her the stars. Do all of this and she will amazing. _

_Thank you_

_P.S. Good luck- you'll need it._

His eyes raked over the note, continuing to read it again and again while his brow furrowed in his now even deeper confusion. If he had a few questions before, then he certainly had a million now.

So he'd been right when he'd thought Anya's coma and memory loss had been induced, even though he still did not know a reason _why. _But the note still brought him more questions and even fewer answers. Who would possibly trust him enough to send him a mysterious, amnesiac girl who did not belong in the universe to take care of? How would they even know he would bring her along as a companion so soon after losing Rose?

Well, they must have known him very well.

He was in pain from Rose's loss and he knew he didn't need to be alone- his Christmas adventure with Donna Noble had opened his eyes to that. The reason why the Doctor had brought Anya back to the TARDIS instead of leaving her in the Royal Hope Hospital was that he was actually considering on asking her to join him as a companion. Though mostly to keep her with him where he could continue to study her and try to solve her curious case.

The Doctor sighed, running a hand through his hair. It looked like now he didn't really have a choice. With her abnormality, the drawing, and the note, his curiosity had reached a blazing point that urged and insisted that he brought her along.

She fascinated him, and he wanted to learn more about her and so did his TARDIS. At first, she had been confused and cautious about Anya, but then the TARDIS decided that she liked Anya, for some reason. The Doctor sure the reason was probably because the TARDIS had figured out something about Anya before him that caused the old box to warm up to her so quickly. The way the TARDIS responded to Anya was as if she was an old friend which confused him even more.

And also judging by how well she'd done on the moon with the Judoon and plasmavore, he figured she would make a good companion. She had almost adapted abnormally well to the oddness of the situation after waking up from her coma. She had provided a good view on things and with that tough, fire of fight within her, she would fair well in dangerous situations. Most of all, he wanted to see if the note would hold true, to see if she would be amazing.

"Hey Doc!" Anya's voice called out, followed by the sound of her approaching footsteps. Almost in a mad scramble, the Doctor shoved the note and envelope back into his jacket before Anya could see it. Hearing Anya enter the console room, the Doctor turned to look at her, easily slipping into a façade that masked all of his curiosities and his confusion.

* * *

"Ya know, you pretty much have Narnia in your closet. It's freaking huge," I commented, jerking my thumb over my shoulder in the general direction of the wardrobe.

He smiled at my comment, and judging by the path of his eyes he'd noticed by my change of clothes that I'd successfully found the closet with some help from the TARDIS. Instead of white robe and blue nightdress, I now wore a fitted green shirt with slightly detached, three-quarter length sleeves. I'd paired the shirt with dark jeans and black books while a medium-sized black belt rested on my hips. Amongst the mass of clothes, I managed to find a hairbrush. After yanking it through my stupid, uncooperative hair for several minutes, I finally got it to look presentable instead of a rat's nest.

"Its bigger on the inside," the Doctor said. I smirked, knowing how he loved that phrase. Especially when it was a new human seeing the TARDIS for the first time. "I see you found the closet."

"Yeah, after getting lost only a few times," I replied, pulling on the hem of my new shirt a bit. "Why do you have a ball pit room?"

He shrugged, "Dunno. There are thousands of rooms within the TARDIS, there's even a swimming pool. She has everything we'll need."

"We?"

The Doctor shifted on his feet, one hand coming up to scratch the back of his neck awkwardly as he rested back against the console. "Yeah, well...I've been thinking that maybe you could come...with me."

I chewed on my lip, hesitating slightly. "Answer me this: why?"

"Why what?" He asked, confused.

"Why a lot of things. Why do you want me to come with you? Why _me _of all people? Why should I come with you? "

"_Why _do you want to know?"

"Because I'm not an idiot. A man I only met a few hours ago asks to me to come away with him to God knows where- of course I'm going to ask some questions. And I'm a curious girl," I answered with a shrug. At my last comment, he muttered softly, _'So it seems.' _Ignoring the comment, I then challenged, "Can you answer any of my questions?"

"I can answer all of them. Why do I want you to come with me? Well, look at this big place," he spread his arms wide in a gesture, "I'm the only one here. It gets lonely. I need some one here with me, a...companion. Why you? Well, why not? Back on the moon, you impressed me- a curious girl just woken up from a coma that jumped right into the thick of things and helped save nearly a thousand lives. You were clever, observant, strong, brave, and also rude."

"Like you can talk, Mr. Rude and Not Ginger" I scoffed and rolled my eyes, but a smile tugging at the corner of my lips made the remark teasing. The Doctor gave the smallest of smiles. "But, let me make this clear. I'm not brave...far from it," the smile left me as I corrected him. If I did decide to travel with him, I wanted to make sure he _really_ knew the kind of person I was before he got any expectations like goodness and bravery. Brave- it was one of the words I would never use to describe myself.

The Doctor gave me that searching look again, his smile also leaving his face. The longer he stared at me, the more I couldn't take it, but the more I didn't want to look away. "Why should you come?" He said, finally breaking the hold his eyes had put me under. Damnit, seriously it was becoming a constant, distracting, and slightly annoying thing. "Your last question. Well, Anya, you've spent so long in that coma, don't you want to see what's out there? All of time and space, anywhere you want to go. You saw what it was like on the moon. Imagine that everyday. That's what your life would be like if you come with me."

"Action," I questioned.

"Yes."

"Adventure?"

"Check."

"Aliens?"

"Most of the time."

"Mystery?"

"More often than you think."

"Wonderful sights?"

"Yep."

"Danger around every corner?"

"Definitely."

"A whole lot of running?"

"Oh, yes," the Doctor said with a large grin and I chuckled softy at the childish expression. "Sooo, what's your answer?"

For a moment, I remained silent, contemplating on going with him. In all honesty, my decision was already made. I was going with him. I knew it was only the real choice I had. There was no life for me to go back to, no family, no friends, nothing or really no one tying me back with responsibilities. I didn't have a past, all I had was a future.

A future I could spend traveling to far off worlds and lands, and all through time with this man. This wonderful, brilliant, flawed, hurting, complicated man with eyes as old as the first stars. He was so familiar and yet still so strange to me. He was so elaborate, that I tried to understand him and found myself failing or grasping at straws most of the time even though I had been given a glance into his own large mind. Though, I knew I understood one thing very well- the pain and the fear of loneliness and the desperation of wanting to get rid of it. Being able to understand that small part of him, just made me want to know more. I wanted to learn things about him and things from him.

Also, I trusted him a bit. On the moon, I took a chance- I put my trust and faith into another person and the Doctor didn't fail me. Naturally that experience made me wonder if I could keep trusting him and I was curious to where that trust would take me as I traveled with him.

I'd seen what life with him would be like- first hand on the moon and second-hand by his memories. I understood that not everything was fairy tales when you travel with the Doctor. I wasn't that naive. Amongst the all the wonders, there was pain, suffering, death, and monsters.

But as Madame de Pompadour once said: The Doctor is worth the monsters, so I figure the adventures are too.

"Yes," I finally answered him with a small grin, "Show me what I've been missing. Show me the stars, Time Lord. Literally, show me the stars, right now. This is my little test. Can you pass it?"

"Oh, yeah," the Doctor confidently replied, spinning around to face the console. Reaching over the large console he pressed several buttons and pulled a lever. Suddenly everything around me was shaking as the TARDIS jolted. Not wanting to fall on my face, I grabbed onto one of the railings. The circles in cylinder in the center of the console began to rise up and down as an odd noise announced the TARDIS's entrance into the Vortex. A few minutes passed before the Doctor flipped a switch and lowered a lever, bringing the wild shaking to a stop.

"That was an adventure in itself," I muttered, slowly releasing my white-knuckled grip on the railing and straightening to a stance. "Can't you fly your own TARDIS?"

"Ehh," the Doctor replied, shaking his hand in a 'so-so' motion. I rolled my eyes at his response. "You want to see some stars?"

"No, I want to see grass die- of course I do." My response brought him amusement apparently since he chuckled softly. He bounded towards the doors, smiling at me as I slowly followed him. When I drew closer, the Time Lord threw open the doors in a somewhat dramatic gesture.

Gasping quietly, I marveled at the brilliant sight as I came up to the Doctor's side. Cosmic clouds swirled together, as a bright emerald-green light shifted through the ink. Stars twinkled against the darkness of space, appearing as if they were winking at me. Not even noticing the bothering silence, I tried to commit the sight to my memory where I had plenty of empty space to fill. "This is called the Silentium Nebula," he told me, "nearly three galaxies away from Earth. How are those stars?"

With a small smile, I stated, "Beautiful. Nice going, Time Lord."

"You're smiling," he nearly sing-songed. "I take that as a sign of approval. So I passed the test?"

"Yeah, I _guess _you did."

"Good, come along then," he smiled and rushed back to the console to being hitting more controls. "We're going on an adventure, right after we pick someone up."

Closing the doors, I took once last glance at the beautiful nebula and stars and then walked towards the Doctor. "Martha Jones," I stated.

His eyes switched from the controls to me. "Yes..how did you know?"

"Who else could you have meant? You said before one of the reasons why you're bringing me along is that I impressed you. Well, Martha was pretty impressive as well. It makes sense you would want to bring her along as well."

"Good."

A small smile twitched at the corner of my lips at his compliment. Beneath me the floor began to rumble. Not wanting to be tossed around again, I hurried to the Doctor's side at the console, reaching my hands out to grip the edge of it tightly while the Time Lord tapped a gauge and pressed a button.

The Doctor grabbed my hand, smirking in amusement at my white knuckle grip. I glared at his smirk while he pried my hand only to place it on a near-by button. "Hold this button down for a tick, I need to change my suit."

I rolled my eyes at the seriousness of his tone when he told me to do this too simple task of holding down some little button. "What happens if I let go while you're gone?" I questioned, my voice lighter in a tease.

"We'll be hurtled into the sun."

My eyes widened considerably at his deadpanned answers. Glancing with caution and fear at the button beneath my finger, it suddenly didn't seem that little anymore. "Seriously?"

"Nah," the Doctor stated with smile that only grew with my glare. I scoffed at myself, somewhat amused by his own little tease even if it did scare me for a bit. "But seriously don't let go unless you want to wind up in 1617. Not the most interesting of years, I've been before."

"Alright," I stated as he began to leave the console room. Honestly I wondered how often he'd miscalculated and ended up in a different place or time than intended. Judging by how poorly he'd flown the TARDIS earlier, probably often. Amusement and remembrance fluttered in the back of my mind and I knew the TARDIS agreed with me. I chuckled at that.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing," I smiled, glancing over my shoulder to see the Doctor entering dressed in a brown pin-striped suit beneath a long, brown trench-coat. That was quick. He gave me a suspicious look, clearly not believing me and clearly frustrated that he didn't know. That just amused the TARDIS and I even more. She continued to hum with mirth while I giggled quietly.

The Doctor reached the console, hitting something and gazing at me with those confused and curious eyes again since he couldn't figure out what amused the TARDIS and me so much. I looked straight back with a 'I know something you don't' look that caused him more frustration and confusion. "You can let go now."

"Without any risk of landing in 1617?"

"Yes."

"You better not be lying, " I stated as I let go slowly, waiting for something to go wrong. With some relief, nothing did. A _ding_ and a _clank _sounded quickly and the room jolted once again as the Doctor pressed a few more controls. My hands gripped onto the railing while an odd sort of wheezing sound filled the air before the TARDIS landed somewhere with a thud.

"Come on, it's 2007. A few hours after the Hospital Fiasco," he traveled to my side of the console and I finally let go of the edge. Suddenly something raised itself from the surface of the console which the Doctor grabbed quickly with a gleeful smile. Holding it up for me to examine, he stated excitedly, "A new sonic screwdriver! Just like my old one."

"Well, not just like it. This one isn't burned."

"True," he agreed, pocketing the new screwdriver in his coat. "And that is a very good thing. It wouldn't be much use then." I nodded, knowing just how many times that little sonic device had saved his hide, along with the rest of the universe's. After saying a quick _thanks _to the still amused TARDIS, the Doctor took a hold of my hand and proceeded to drag me behind him, out the doors and into a dark alleyway full of campaign posters, trash, and curling streams of steam coming from some pipes along the dark, brick walls. "Come on."

"I am, you're dragging me with you," I stated as he pulled me through a few corners and turns.

The sound of cars driving past and music grew louder as we walked. Soon we were standing on a corner across the street from some pub that glowed with light. Now I could make out angry yells of what appeared to be the family Martha spoke of. masking over the lively music from the bar. The medical student herself stood by helpless as her family screamed at one another before storming away. A pang of sympathy struck me. It couldn't be easy to watch your family fight each other.

Sighing slightly in what seemed to be defeat, Martha let her eyes wander, eventually landing on the Doctor and I. He smirked at her, I waved with a smile, and she titled her head in confusion or disbelief. With a slight tug of my hand, the Doctor and I disappeared around the corner, heading back to where the TARDIS was parked. The click of heels on pavement proved that the curious medical student was following us- not that big of a surprise.

The Doctor leaned against the blue doors of his ship, placing a foot behind the other and shoving his hands in his pockets in an attempt to be all cool and mysterious like. At his posture I rolled my eyes, snorting a bit.

The clicking grew steadily louder and soon Martha was entering the alleyway. Looking straight at the Doctor she stated, "I went to the moon today."

"A bit more peaceful than down here," he commented.

With a raised brow, I asked him with a scoff, "Space asshole rhinos and killer bloodsucking old ladies is more peaceful?" The Time Lord shrugged carelessly.

"You never even told me who you are," said Martha, slowly drawing closer to us and the TARDIS.

"I'm the Doctor."

"What sort of species? It's not every day I get to ask that."

"That would be an odd conversation starter," I remarked, my mind filling with the amusing possibilities that could lead to.

"I'm a Time Lord."

"Right!" She nearly laughed with her joke, "Not pompous at all, then."

"I just thought since you saved my life and I've got a brand new sonic screwdriver which needs road testing, you might fancy a trip," the Doctor said, pulling out his new device and twirling it his hands. Show off.

"What, into space?"

"Well..."

"I can't," the medical student stressed with a strong voice. "I've got exams. I've got things to do. I have to go into town first thing and pay the rent, I've got my family going mad..."

It was hard for me to actually believe she was denying the chance to travel in _space _and all for what? A mundane life full of bills, stressful work, and family. Then again, I think I could understand why she wouldn't want to come. Unlike me, Martha had responsibilities, important ones to her and ones she couldn't just leave at the drop of a hat, but that still didn't mean she should let this wonderful, most likely life-changing offer to explore amazing things that belong in fairy tales go. Honestly, I hoped she agreed to come along once she learned that the TARDIS could time travel as well. Like the Doctor had said, she deserved at least a trip for her brave actions on the moon.

"If it helps," I added in a persuasive voice, "He can travel in time, as well."

"Get out of here."

The Doctor confirmed, "I can."

"Come on now, that's going too far."

**"**I'll prove it," he stated before turning around and pushing open the wooden doors. "You might want to step back a bit," he called to me. I nodded, taking one large step away as a now familiar noise sounded through out the air. The light on the top of the box glowed bright while the image of the TARDIS began to flicker and fade until it was completely gone.

Martha could barely believe it.

With a gaping mouth and wide eyes, she stepped forward, holding a hand forward to see if it had really disappeared. A TARDIS noise filled the air once again and the blue box appeared not too far from where Martha and I stood. The Doctor stepped out, holding his tie in his hand.

"Told you!" He declared proudly with a small smile.

"I know, but... that was this morning!" Martha stuttered, her voice holding amazement and slight disbelief.

I honestly had little to no clues about what they were talking about, but I was still grinning at Martha's reactions, enjoying them as much as the Doctor. "Told ya so," I said, catching the Doctor's grin as he put back on his tie, adjusting it to perfection

"But - Did you... Oh, my God! You can travel in time! But hold on, if you could see me this morning, why didn't you tell me not to go in to work?"

Crossing his arms over his chest, he told her seriously, "Crossing into established events is strictly forbidden. Except for cheap tricks."

"And that's your spaceship?" Martha asked with a smile.

"It's called the TARDIS."

"Stands for Time and Relative Dimension in Space," I threw in as well. The medical student stepped forward, running her hand along the side.

"Your spaceship's made of wood," she reported. "There's not much room. We'd be a bit intimate, with all three of us."

With a creak, the Doctor nudged the door open. Nearly ethereal, golden light immediately spilled out, shinning onto Martha. "Take a look."

The impossibility of the large console room caused Martha to freeze in amazement, her eyes grew rapidly in size. For a brief moment, I wondered if my expression looked similar to Martha's when I first entered the TARDIS. The Doctor and I entered after the student, standing beside her and watching her reaction. After a few more moments of just staring, she then raced out of the ship to circle around it, "Oh, no, no."

I chuckled quietly, hearing her shout out her amazed confusion as she tried to verify the existence."But, it's just a box. But it's huge. How does it do that? It's wood!?" She knocked on the wooden door once before walking back in, "It's like a box with that room just rammed in. It's bigger on the inside."

He mouthed the last part to me in perfect union with Martha. I chuckled, knowing that he'd been waiting for that exact phrase. "Is it," he asked, feigning knowledge, "I hadn't noticed."

"We have no idea what you are talking about," I added with a slight smile.

Shutting the door firmly behind us, the Doctor ripped off his coat and threw it onto one of the pillars before moving quickly to his console. I approached the console as well, deciding to lean against one of the railings that lined the room "All right, then, let's get going."

"But is there a crew," Martha asked as she traveled about the room, "Like a navigator and stuff? Where is everyone?"

"There's just him," I told her, pointing towards the Doctor. His earlier enthusiasm deflated almost instantly, with Martha's new bout of questions. "And me." I quickly added with a small smile for him.

"All on your own?"

Sadness quickly filled his expression and eyes as a memory darted through his mind before fleeing quickly. I already knew what or rather _who _he was remembering. "Well, sometimes I have guests," the Doctor admitted, almost quietly, something very different from his usual charismatic and excited voice. "I mean some friends, traveling alongside. I had - there was recently a friend of mine. Rose, her name was, Rose. And... we were together. Anyway..."

Cautiously Martha asked, slowly approaching him, "Where is she now?"

"With her family." He stated quickly as if no to worry us or more likely himself. "Happy. She's fine. Not that you're replacing her," he then pointed to me, "you neither."

"I would never dream of it," I stated in my defense, knowing all too well that Rose was certainly not a person that could be 'replaced.' Besides, I doubt I could- I wasn't quite the good person she was.

"Never said I was," Martha remarked.

Holding up a finger up to her, the Doctor told her seriously, "Just one trip to say 'thanks', you get one trip, then back home."

Smirking, I sent him a knowing, 'you are wrong' look. I just knew that statement wouldn't hold up. He was a lonely creature, he needed others around him. Although it was true he now had me as a companion, I knew I wouldn't be enough...or _good_ enough really. I knew I wasn't that kind of person. It would be better if Martha came along as well. She would be good traveling with us and she would be great too, I figured.

"Alright but you're the one that kissed me," Martha said teasingly. She leaned closer towards him in what could be seen as a seductive move.

The Doctor grew defensive at her _'accusation.' _"That was a genetic transfer," he firmly stated.

"And if you will wear a tight suit…," She added with a coy smile.

His face hardened in warning, "Now...don't!"

"And then travel all the way across the universe just to ask me on a date…,"

I coughed awkwardly at the scene playing before me. Oh, she should just leave it alone. He'd already said the kiss meant nothing, so she shouldn't read too much into it, like I did. Although, Martha had no idea that the Doctor had just lost a woman he'd truly cared about. But still, she should have listened to him, it was at least the courteous thing to do.

"Stop it," the Doctor stated.

"For the record," she began, "I'm not remotely interested. I only go for humans." I breathed a sigh of relief, noticing that the Doctor seemed a bit relieved as well.

"Good," He smiled in satisfaction at the answer, before turning towards me, neither one of us catching the slightly dejected look that came over Martha. "You better not get any ideas either. Again it was just a genetic transfer, not a kiss."

Quickly in my defense, I answered, "I know. I'm not looking for a relationship at all." A boyfriend was something I did not need now, considering my situation, especially the whole I-just-woke-up-from-a-coma-and-have-no-memories issue. I fixed a pointed look on the two, concentration more so on the Doctor, "And I knew neither are you."

He nodded, clearly understanding my hidden point. "Alrighty." Going about his usual piloting business, the Doctor started pulling levers, dancing around the operating systems, and doing God knows what else. "Good, now, Close down the gravitic anomalizer. Fire up the helmic regulator. And finally - the hand brake." He paused, hand hovering over a lever. "Ready?"

"No," Martha shook her head, but a smile stretched her lips.

"Wait," I traveled to the consul, gripping onto a hand bar the edge between the medical student and the Doctor. Glancing at Martha I advised, "You might want to grab onto something." Slightly confused, Martha listened to my wisdom (smart move) and I beamed at the Doctor. "Alright. Ready."

"Off we go," He tugged down the hand brake and spun the gravitic anomalizer. In an instant the TARDIS jolted and shook before taking off into the Vortex, sending us..somewhere sure to be amazing. The wheezing of the TARDIS sounded loud and the Doctor almost fell over, but managed to hold on from years of experience, I supposed.

"Blimey, it's a bit bumpy," Martha complained, before turning to me. "Thanks for the warning.

"Welcome. He's a horrible driver, but all the same it's still pretty cool. Well, the TARDIS at least." My knuckles turned white with the tightness of my grip as I held on for dear life next to her. Laughs bubbled from my throat as I caught the Doctor's amusing expression from my statements, obviously not happy only the TARDIs had gotten praised.

Coming up on my other side, the Doctor shouted, "Welcome aboard, Miss Jones. Anya." He reached over to shake both our hands vigorously, trying not to fall in the process, much to my and Martha's mirth.

"It's my pleasure Mr. Smith," Martha replied with a smile.

"Mine as well," I stated.

* * *

**Alright, Smith and Jones has finally drawn to a close. Normally, episodes will not take up this many chapters- usually I've planned them to take up three chapters. The only reason why Smith and Jones has been so long is because all of the extras I've added to introduce more of Anya, who now is quite the ****mystery. Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter and Anya. Please review telling me what you think. Thanks!**


	7. TSC: All the World's a Stage

**The Yoshinator: Good! I'm glad you are enjoying it! It's fine. I didn't get confused at all, really.**

**Fellowship of Avengers: A few? You've got _several_ of your own already. ;D Yep, the Doctor always has a plan...well actually he always has a thing, not a plan. ;) Oh, so would anyone. It's perfectly alright to be lost and confused- the mystery of Anya is supposed to be like that until it is all explain which will take a while. Thank you. XD**

**skidney: Thank you! I'm glad you like it!**

**Fulminata: Holy crap! I actually had not at all realized that until I read your ****review. I guess I'm really the slow one. ;)**

**TameTheGhosts: Thanks! I'm so glad you have been enjoying it! The mystery of Anya is something I've spent a while working on, and I'm happy to finally see it written out. Hopefully you'll enjoy it as it continues to unfold. ;)**

**Thanks to everyone that has reviewed, favorited, or alerted. Also, sorry about the wait. School just let out for me so I'll be able to update more ****regularly now and that goes for most of my other stories as well.**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**The Shakespeare Code:**  
**All The World's A Stage**

_By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes. _  
- William Shakespeare

* * *

The Doctor spun a wheeled control on the console as fast as he could while Martha and I continued to hold onto it for dear life. The TARDIS shook and jumped about, nearly sending me to the floor more times than I could, or would like, to count. My grip continued to tighten as the room around us moved. I did not want to be thrown around like some sort of rag-doll. I really didn't need a concussion even before we started our adventure.

While I concentrated on keeping my grip strong, Martha had decided to play twenty questions with the Doctor; most of her inquires were very personal, which only led to the Doctor becoming a bit more distant than he needed to be. I would have breathed a sigh of relief when Martha changed the subject of her queries to the mechanics of the TARDIS and time/space travel had I not been too busy with mentally cursing the Doctor for his horrible driving skills.

"But how do you travel in time," the curious and persistent medical student asked. "What makes it go?"

"Oh, let's take the fun and mystery out of everything," the Doctor commented, continuing to spin the control and fly the TARDIS poorly. "Martha, you don't wanna know. It just does. Hold on tight!"

"We are!" I stated, trying not to laugh as he practically climbed up onto the console, stretching his body and using his feet to hit the right controls. "I don't know about you but I would prefer not to be thrown around."

He ignored me.

With a sudden jolt, Martha and I were knocked to the floor. Even though I laid on the grated floor, groaning in slight pain from the impact I couldn't help but feel satisfied that the Doctor had fallen off the console as well. That's what you get for sucking at driving a multidimensional space and time machine.

Martha came to a stand, dusting herself off. "Blimey! Do you have to pass a test to fly this thing?"

"Yes, and I failed it," the Doctor replied, grabbing his coat from where he'd carelessly thrown it before.

Scoffing, I stood up, my aching hands rubbing the now sore spot on my lower back. _Again._ Stupid Time Lord and his stupid motor skills. "We could tell, especially now with the pain in my hands and back."

"I told you to hold on," he replied. Before I could answer with something either sarcastic or witty but definitely insulting, he turned to Martha, handing the student her coat as well._"_Now, make the most of it. I promised you one trip and one trip only. Outside this door..." he stopped at the door, waiting patiently for Martha and I to drag ourselves over there. "Brave new world."

"Where are we?" she asked, a smile slowly forming on her lips.

He pushed open the door with a smile. "Take a look. After you."

Martha hurried down the ramp, I right on her heels after I slung my black bag over my shoulder. Once outside, we were met with the sight of a dirt street, lined by a tall building decorated with clothing lines. Judging by their clothing of old dresses and mostly brown fabrics along with the torch on a wall begin the only source of light besides the moon above, I knew we had traveled back in time. Probably around the Middle Ages. Late Middle Ages definitely.

Chatter and a distant nay of a horse filled the night air. People hurried down the street, bustling about as their lives continued on without even noticing the odd blue box just a few feet away along with the abnormal man and the stupefied women (or rather _woman _since it seemed Martha was the only one still completely amazed about time travel and kept repeating exclaims like _oh my god._) Despite the change of the time, it seemed life here was not so different from life in 2007. Somethings never change even when the times do.

"Neat," I simply stated with a small smile.

"Oh, you are kidding me," the amateur stated with wide eyes and a slightly higher pitched voice. Next to her the Doctor widely grin, pleased with Martha's reaction and curious about the new place before us. Like him, I was too absorbed in where we were, studying every new thing that passed by. "You are _so_ kidding me. Oh, my God! We did it. We travelled in time. Where are we? No, sorry. I gotta get used to this whole new language. When are we?"

The Doctor smiled at her as his eyes travelled around. After suddenly looking up he grabbed onto our shoulders. With a surprised protest from me, he yanked us back just as man dumped the contents of a bucket from a first story window that sloshed to the ground in front of us. "Mind the loo!"

I ducked behind the Doctor to avoid the splash, not wanting to get any of that man's _loo _ on me. These clothes were brand new! And technically not mine too. The Doctor glanced back at me in amusement which I return with a '_what did you expect me to do you idiot?' _expression.

"Somewhere before the invention of the toilet," he stated. His nose slightly squished from the smell, while my face scrunched from the bad odor as well. _Gross_. "Sorry about that."

"None got on me so I'm good," I informed him. If I had, I probably would have smacked his arm to being too slow and then mentally cursed myself for being too slow or not noticing the raining excrement.

Martha said, "I've seen worse. I've worked the late night shift at A&E." The Doctor nodded and began to walk away, stepping over the puddle of waste on the ground now. Right behind him, I cautiously stepped around it as well, only to stop when Martha suddenly called out in surprise. "But are we safe? I mean, can we move around and stuff?"

We both looked at her oddly. Apparently, Martha still had some confusion about the whole traveling back in time concept, not that I could blame her for it though. It wasn't a topic they would cover in Earth school. All information on time travel humans had came from Sci-fi movies and shows. "Of course we can," the Doctor stated with a nonplussed look. "Why do you ask?"

"It's like in the films," she stated, making me smile to know I was right about the movie thing. "You step on a butterfly; you change the future of the human race."

"It doesn't quite work like that," I told her. "That's Hollywood logic."

"Well, tell you what then, don't step on any butterflies," the Doctor stated before asking, "What have butterflies ever done to you?"

"Apparently changed the future of the human race," I stated, earning a smirk before we continued walking and Martha continued with questions.

"What if, I dunno, what if I kill my grandfather?"

"You planning to?" He asked in response, turning around and walking backwards with the coordination I probably lacked.

"No."

"Well, then."

I added in, "Why would you kill anyone anyways? Especially your grandfather? It's not very nice, it's quite rude. Also I would prefer not to get arrested for accessory to murder after our encounter with the Space Asshole Police Force."

"You mean the Judoon," the Doctor asked.

"Same difference."

Glancing around, Martha stated, "This is London."

"I think so,"the Doctor nodded. "Right about 1599."

So I was right. Late Middle Ages. One point for Anya. I looked at the Doctor oddly. "How could you not know? You're the one that brought us here."

"Yeah, well sometimes I don't land in the right time."

With a smirk I continued, "Or the right planet."

Before the Doctor could reply with some half-assed defense against the truth, Martha grabbed his arm and spoke up in heavy concern as she realized the time period. "Oh, but hold on. Am I all right? I'm not gonna get carted off as a slave, am I?"

"Why would they do that?" He asked in concerned confusion.

"Not exactly white, in case you haven't noticed," Martha gestured towards her face. I glanced at her, brows furrowing in concentration. If I and the knowledge left in my mind was correct (and it probably was) then the slaves or rather serfs during this time period were not necessarily black. So I didn't think Martha had anything to worry about.

"Don't worry," I _tried_ to smile comfortingly. "Even if someone were to try to carter you off, we could always punch or kick 'em, whatever method you prefer, and run. The Doctor wouldn't let anyone take ya. Me too I guess."

The Doctor nodded. "I'm not even human. Just walk about like you own the place. Works for me."

"Most of the time," I stated as we began to walk.

"Besides, you'd be surprised. Elizabethan England, not so different from your time." At that, I smiled, recognizing the statement as something I had noticed earlier as well. "Look over there." He pointed towards a man shoveling manure off of the straw littered ground. "They've got recycling. Water cooler moment," the Time Lord said as we passed by two men conversing over a water barrel.

A man dressed in black carried a bible in one arm and held the other up in the air. ".. and the world will be consumed by flame!" He preached to the street.

"Global warming," the Doctor stated.

"I would have gone for Doomsayer," my comment earned a nod of agreement from the Doctor, a smile from Martha, and a disappointed look from the preacher who suddenly deflated. 'Course, my time traveling guide didn't notice as he began to bounce in excitement and swivel his head around like a curious owl.

"Oh, yes, and... entertainment! Popular entertainment for the masses. If I'm right, we're just down the river by Southwark right next to..." Martha shrugged on her jacket just in time before the Doctor took our hands to drag us around a corner quickly. I never got to make a comment on his 'hand-grabby' habit since I was stunned by the sight before us. Just down the street on the other side of a few tress rose a circular structure that I actually recognized. I was thankful for whoever messed with my mind actually included some useful information such as that building was the one and only Globe Theater.

"Oh, yes, the Globe Theatre!" the Doctor grinned and began to rattle off information, swaying on his feet."Brand new. Just opened. Through, strictly speaking, it's not a globe; it's a tetradecagon —14 sides— containing the man himself."

"Whoa, you don't mean... is Shakespeare in there?" Martha looked at him.

"Oh, yes!"

Excitement bubbled within me, information about Shakespeare and his works filling my mind. Distant memories of his plays swirled in the mostly empty space, but there was enough there for me to know that I actually enjoyed Shakespeare and some of his plays like Macbeth and Hamlet. He was a very intelligent man of great words, able to use such beautiful language in his plays that I truly admired. I couldn't help but smile as a thought struck me- we were actually going to meet him and see a play in the original Globe Theater!

Grinning largely in elation, I pointed towards the raised white flag on the Theater fluttering through the breeze. "See that flag? When ever it is raised it means there is a play to be preformed, so nice timing Doctor. You managed not to screw up."

Seeing my enthusiasm and hearing my compliment brought a small, slightly smug smile to the Time Lord's lips. "Really? Well then, Miss Anya, would you fancy going to the theater with me?" He held out one arm for me to take.

"Let me think about it...yes." I mocked curtsied, adding in an unintentionally poor imitation of his accent, "I actually would love to." Martha let out a laugh at my pathetic attempt and the Doctor rolled his eyes, glancing down at me as I grabbed onto his arm.

"Miss Jones," the Doctor held out his other arm for her. "Will you accompany me to the theatre?"

Linking her arm in his tightly, Martha answered with a voice full of eagerness as well, "Yes, Mr. Smith, I will. "

The Doctor led as down the street towards the Theater, grinning as well. "When you get home, you can tell everyone you've seen Shakespeare."

"Then I could get sectioned!" She laughed.

"That's always fun," I joked with a smirk, noticing the odd glances people casted towards us as we approached the Globe. I couldn't really blame them at all, knowing we must have been quite the peculiar sight — a man with two women on his arms, all three dressed in different clothing never seen before. But despite the little, curious stares the people never questioned. Apparently walking around like you owned the place did work wonders.

We arrived at the Globe Theater right as the huddled masses began to funnel through the entrance, bringing us with them. Everything seemed to be going pretty well considering the constant danger that usually plagued the Doctor's trips. That was true until we reached the collector's box where you paid to get in. Holding back a facepalm, I realized we didn't haven't any money.

It wasn't quite a world threatening issue, but it definitely was a problem.

"Doctor, how the hell are we supposed to pay?" With a low voice I questioned him, trying to keep back from cursing.

"Ah...good question," he removed his arms from Martha and I, much to a certain medical student's disappointment. With frantic movements, the Doctor patted the large pockets of his brown coat. Suddenly, he shoved his hand in one on his left side, most of his forearm disappearing before pulling out his clenched fist. "Here we are." Smiling and unclenching his fist, a few bronze coins gleamed in the torchlight, shinning like a beacon of hope and relief.

Martha glanced at the coins, "Do you think that will be enough?"

"Yes. It only costs a penny to be admitted into the pit per person. The price increases one penny the higher you go up. I figure the pit would be alright. It's more fun. Is that alright with you ladies?"

"Yep, I'm okay with it." I nodded.

"Sure, as long as we get to go," Martha grinned.

The crowd continued to push and user us forward; when we reached the collector's box the Doctor threw three coins into the wooden box the man was holding. Then he lead us down the hallway till it opened up into the pit, which seemed to be aptly named as that's what it was — a large open area in front of the stage. Already people crowded together around the three sides of the stage, standing closer to one another. It had a rank smell of arm pits and it was quite full, not providing the most comfortable feeling to watch a play, but it was Shakespeare, so it was worth it. As I examined the room in wonder and curiosity, I could see that red banners clung to the ceiling, draping down across the dark wooden beams of the structure. The three levels above us were just as packed with people as the pit. Looked like there was a full house tonight.

"Which play are we going to see," I asked excitedly, bouncing on my feet as we settled to a stop not too far away from the stage.

The mass of people started roaring loudly, excitement filling their voices as a man slid through the velvet curtains and traveled to the center of the stage. Quickly everyone hushed as he waved his hand, calling for silence. "Tonight for your entertaining pleasure, the Globe Theater presents to you _Loves Labour's Lost_ written by our very own William Shakespeare!"

After the announcement, the crowd boisterously cheered while the man exited to the left. A few stage hands appeared, adding a couple of props to the set before hurriedly rushing back behind the curtains.

"There's your answer," the Doctor stated a bit too loud. Many people turned to shush him as silence fell across the theater.

The velvet curtains rose and the play began.

* * *

A few hours later, the play drew to a close. Upon the stage, actors, still dressed in their costumes, filed onto the center of the stage. Bowing together in a line and waving, they basked in the loud cheering and boisterous applause of the pleased audience.

Everyone clapped, including us. Martha and I were especially enthusiastic as we grinned and loudly clapped; I wouldn't have been surprised if we had began to jump up and down. Although I was more of a fan of Shakespeare's tragedies, I couldn't have helped but absolutely enjoy the comedy. The amusing lines and actions of the thespians paired with the atmosphere of the Theater just made everything better. Enjoyment was infectious here, along with any and all emotion the story of a play could bring out in its audience. The Theatre brought life to words in a script and that fact was something I found brilliant.

Smiling widely, I turned to the Doctor and Martha. "That was just...brilliant."

The medical student stood on the other side of the Doctor, giggling slightly. "Yeah! That's amazing! Just amazing. It's worth putting up with the smell. And those are men dressed as women, yeah." She pointed towards the few actors, their bodies covered in dressed and their faces masked with make-up in an attempt to appear more feminine.

"London never changes," the Doctor stated, earning a snort from me.

"Where's Shakespeare? I wanna see Shakespeare." Martha exclaimed loudly, eyes scanning the stage for the genius writer. I nodded in agreement, even more thrill bubbling within me. Oh, this was great. Getting to actually see Shakespeare after watching one of his plays would be the cherry on top. Martha raised her fist into the air, loudly chanting, "Author! Author!" She stopped when the Doctor looked at her. "Do people shout that? Do they shout "Author"?"

Behind her, a man started to call out, "Author! Author!" Swiftly, the word spread across the entire theater as people suddenly called out for the author in the hopes of brining Shakespeare out.

Glancing around at the crying out people, the Doctor muttered with a quirked brow, "Well... they do now."

I smiled at Martha. "You started a trend! In 1599. Well done."

She smiled but her response was drowned out by the sudden loud cry of the audience. They went absolutely wild, making me guess that the author himself had made an appearance. The entire crowd shifted closer to the stage, causing a rather tall man to appear in front of me and to completely block my view of the majority of the stage.

_Damn my shortness, _I thought with an audible growl. As I lifted my body to stand on my tip toes, I stretched my neck as far as it would go without being too strenuous. Next to me the Doctor started chuckling at my predicament, which I responded with a quick glare at him. _Damn him and his stupid tallness. _By some miracle, I managed to barely peak over the man's shoulder and receive my first look at the brilliant writer.

Alright, when I imagined Shakespeare, I imagined the old black and white portraits you could find in a textbook or biography. I imagined the older man with thinning hair and the weird white-collar.

What is expected is very different from what is reality.

Exhibit A of this truth is Shakespeare himself.

He was not quite like his portraits.

_Reality _Shakespeare possessed a full head of dark brown hair and the same beard and mustache combo in his portraits but lacked the slightly ridiculous white-collar. He appeared younger, and a bit dashing in a roguish way- the good kind of roguish though. The author swaggered across the stage, taking exaggerated bows while blowing kisses to the adoring crowd that grew wilder and wilder with each of his actions.

Martha looked at the figure on the stage, slightly confused. "He's a bit different from his portraits."

"I'll say," I commented and with a playful smile I looked at Martha. "I think I like this Shakespeare better than the portraits."

"Me too," she grinned and giggled. "He's much better looking this way."

The Doctor rolled his eyes at our comments before he leaned closer towards us. "Genius. He's a genius - THE genius. The most human Human that's ever been. Now we're gonna hear him speak. Always, he chooses the best words. New, beautiful, brilliant words." Hearing that, I smiled with a nod of agreement, eyes turning eagerly to the stage and ears waiting for Shakespeare's sure to be brilliant words.

At the center of the stage, the author yelled out over the noise of the crowd words of not beauty and brilliance, but words of a shattered expectation and a surprising reality, "Shut your big fat mouths!"

Whelp. That was not what I expect. Apparently, neither did the Doctor. The eager smile feel from his lips in an instance, disappointment saddening his eyes while the audience laughed around us.

"Oh, well," he sighed, his voice soft and low and crestfallen. Despite the letdown of an inspiring string of words, a small smile tugged at the corner of one of my lips since this unexpected turn seemed to be amusing. Sure, Shakespeare wasn't the obviously brilliant genius of my presumptions, but instead he was quite the hoot.

"You should never meet your heroes," Martha told him.

I shrugged, "I dunno. He's more entertaining this way, I'll admit. Not at all expected though."

"You have excellent taste! I'll give you that. Oh' that's a wig!" Shakespeare suddenly pointed to a man near the front, bringing a round of laughter out of the spectating people. "I know what you're all saying. '_Loves Labour's Lost'_, that's a funny ending, isn't it? It just stops," he snapped his fingers before continuing, "Will the boys get the girls? Well, don't get your hose in a tangle, you'll find out soon. Yeah, yeah. All in good time. You don't rush a genius."

I snorted at that while Shakespeare bowed slightly. Then suddenly, he abruptly jerked upright, back becoming straight as a board and causing the crowd to 'oo' before quickly quietening. "When," he paused, gazing at all the faces before him in the theater, "Tomorrow night."

Just behind the writer, the cast blinked, stunned by the sudden announcement. A few of them glanced at each other with the universal, puzzled expression of _'is he serious'._The crowd had quite the different reaction. Although surprised, they produced another round of applause.

Grinning, Shakespeare continued to shout out his announcement over the noise, "The premiere of my brand new play. A sequel, no less, and I call it '_Loves Labour's Won'_!"

The Doctor stared silently at the stage while Martha clapped excitedly with the rest of the pleased audience. I, on the other hand, stared confused as well. A list of Shakespeare's plays had been included in the information in my mind and _Love Labour's Won _was not on that list. Either I was wrong or something here wasn't right.

The latter was most likely true.

As the clapping and cheering continued, the author and actors of the play exited the stage. In their wake, an unanswered question was left suspended within the air. _What the hell is going on? _

All the cheers died down into chatter as people were ushered out of the theater. The moving crowd pushed us forward with them.

"I'm not an expert," Martha began as we left, " but I've never heard of _'Loves Labour's Won'_."

"Exactly — the lost play," the Time Lord said, "It doesn't exist — only in rumours."

I spoke up, "If the information left in my head is right the 'lost play' was completed but no copies ever survived."

The Doctor nodded, eyes becoming wide in a puzzled expression. "It's mentioned in lists of his plays but never ever turns up. No one knows why,"

"Have you got a mini-disk or something?" Martha suddenly asked, causing me to look at her oddly with a frown. What kind of question was that? "We could tape it. We can flog it. Sell it when we get home and make a mint.

"No," the Doctor looked at her.

"That would be bad."

"Yeah. Yeah."

I patted her arm, "Nice try."

"Well, how come it disappeared in the first place?" Martha questioned.  
**  
**"Welllll..." the Doctor trailed, "I was just gonna give you a quick little trip in the TARDIS but I suppose we could stay a bit longer."

Hearing that I smirked. _Just a little bit longer_. There was no doubt in my mind that Martha would become a true companion to the Doctor and that just helped to solidify my theory.

"Where shall we go first?" I asked as we stepped out of the Globe and into the night.

With a grin, the Doctor turned to me as he answered my question. "To the man himself, William Shakespeare."

* * *

After running lost about the streets of Elizabethan London for a while and stumbling into three taverns, two bakeries, a tailor's shop, a smithy and even a brothel (The Doctor had gained the attention of several ladies of the night there, much to his blushing embarrassment, my cackling amusement, and Martha's immediate displeasure), a rather kind woman who owned a clothing shop informed us that Shakespeare was staying in the Elephant Inn.

When we came to the building, the Doctor immediately raced up the wooden stairs, taking two steps at a time with some kind of unnatural grace. _Damn, he's quick. _At any moment I expected him to slip and fall, or perhaps stumble just a bit, but he had more coordination than I ever could, probably gained from years of running.

Martha and I followed after him. By the time we reached the top, the Doctor was already knocking the frame of the open doorway into Shakespeare's room. "Hello!" He called out in excitement, his expression reminding me of a puppy. "Excuse me! I'm not interrupting, am I? Mr. Shakespeare, isn't it?"

Martha stood behind the Doctor, leaning her head around him to get a glimpse at Shakespeare. Cursing my shortness and the Doctor's tallness, I stretched myself to peer over his shoulder to see Shakespeare sitting at a desk. Two men I recognized as some of the actors from the play sat across from the author with an empty chair between them.

Frustration and annoyance tinging his voice, Shakespeare said, "Oh no, no, no, no. Who let you in? No autographs. No, you can't have yourself sketched with me. And please don't ask where I get my ideas from. Thanks for the interest. Now be a good boy and shove—" his words came to a sudden halt as he noticed Martha. A smile spread across his face. "Hey, nonny nonny. Sit right down here next to me." I snorted at that while Shakespeare waved off the actors_. "_You two get sewing on them costumes. Off you go."

The inn keeper passed by us, patting the actors on the shoulders with a wry smile. "Come on, lads. I think our William's found his new muse." The men rolled their eyes at that before leaving the room along with the inn keeper.

With an approving smile, Martha shifted forward to take a seat in the now unoccupied seat closest to Shakespeare. I moved past the Doctor, towards the middle seat just as Shakespeare stood up to greet us which was when he actually caught sight of me. "Dear me, how rude it is of I to not acknowledge the presence of such a beauty when she enters the room."

Hearing his words, my body froze, mouth opening partially in shock and confusion.

_What?_ _Is Shakespeare_**_ flirting _**_with me? _

My eyes scanned the writer's expression, taking in his small pleased smile and the heated look suddenly burning in his own eyes that observed me as well.

_He is._

Establishing that fact allowed the bolt of shocking puzzlement to wade, giving me control over my paralyzed body once again. At first, I had been stunned by his advance, unaccustomed to someone actually _flirting_ with _me._ I did just wake up from a coma, so it had been a while since I interacted with people. Taking my seat, I gave him a small nod, managing to quickly adapt to his flirty demeanor. I will admit it was a bit flattering for him to be flirting with me; although, I wouldn't indulge in it and flirt back. But that doesn't mean I wasn't necessarily opposed to it or offended by it either. Honestly, I was more indifferent towards it.

Sitting back down in his seat, Shakespeare's eyes kept shifting between Martha and I, although he focused more on the grinning medical student. "Sweet ladies. Such unusual clothes. So... fitted."

Continuing to smile at the attention now focused on her now, Martha stated in attempt to use what she assumed to be the lingo of the time period, "Um, verily, forsooth, egads."

"No, no, don't do that. Don't," the Doctor mumbled quietly to her. Reaching into a pocket, he pulled out his psychic paper and began to introduce us, _"_I'm Sir Doctor of TARDIS and these are my companions, Miss Martha Jones and M-"

"Lady Anya," I suddenly cut in. Hey, if I was to be anyone in Elizabethan London why not go for a Lady? Quickly, I searched my mind for a word or phrase to finish my 'title.' Smirking at the idea that pressed to the fore front of my mind, I easily added, "of Ravenclaw."

The Doctor turned to me, brows raised in a incredulous expression that silently said _'really'_. I simply beamed at him in a false innocence, shrugging. When he rolled his eyes to that, I had to bite my lip to keep the victorious yet mirthful smile from appearing. "And Lady Anya of Ravenclaw," he continued, flipping open the black wallet to present the psychic paper.

Shakespeare stared at the presented paper for a moment before he pointed at it, "Interesting, that bit of paper. It's blank."

Eyes and lips widening, the Doctor looked at him, impressed. "Oh, that's... very clever. That proves it. Absolute genius."

"So anyone who can't see it is a genius, huh?" I asked, thinking back to how the first time the Doctor tried to pull his psychic paper trick on me. I had not seen it as well, so it looked like I was genius. _Cool_. Realizing what I was insinuating, the Time Lord rolled his eyes.

Martha leaned over to peer at the paper of interest. "No, it says so right there. Sir Doctor, Lady Anya, and Martha Jones. It says so."

"And I say it's blank," Shakespeare argued lightly.

"Psychic paper," the Doctor began to explain to Martha before he started to compain. "Um, long story. Oh, I hate starting from scratch..."

As he put the apparently useless psychic paper away, I turned to Martha. Speaking quietly I clarified, "Psychic paper, well it shows you whatever the holder wants you to see. For instance a ticket or an ID, or even a message. It's useful to get into places where you don't belong, unless apparently when you're dealing with a genius like now."

Martha nodded, smiling, "Thanks."

"Welcome."

"Psychic," Shakespeare tested the unfamiliar word on his tongue. "Never heard that before and words are my trade. Who are you exactly? More's the point, who is your lovely, bare-skinned vixen and your delicious, blackamoor lady?" He leaned forward, resting a hand against his cheek while eyeing us.

I raised a brow at that, not sure if I should or could be flattered by it. But _bare-skinned vixen? _Confused, I glanced down at my body, noticing the caramel strands of my hair spilling across my shoulders. Then I observed how the detached sleeves exposed much of my collarbone - much more skin than a woman of this time period would usually show_._ Suddenly the bare-skinned part made more sense. _Oops, oh well though._

"What did you say?" Martha asked, her tone of voice suggesting she was in a similar predicament as I.

"Oops. Isn't that a word we use nowadays? An Ethiop girl?" He tried to correct himself, much to our amusement. "A swarth? A Queen of Afric..."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this," Martha turned towards the Doctor.

I smirked. "At least he didn't say _His_ _Dark Lady."_

"It's political correctness gone mad," the Doctor rubbed his eye, but I managed to catch a smile on his face from my input. "Um, Martha's from a far-off land...Freedonia."

"_Freedonia?" _I mouthed to him, trying to not faceplam. Actually, I would rather facepalm _him_. Really? Freedonia? Worse made up land ever. Come on, Doctor, you can lie better than that.

William then settled his eyes on me. "And what of the bronze goddess? Does she hail from there as well?"

"Yes, I am also from..._Freedonia," _I glanced at the Doctor, once again mentally weeping at his pathetic name of a false country. Turning back to Shakespeare, I continued to easily lie with a small, convincing smile. "Although a different part. It's a very diverse land."

Before Shakespeare could ask any more questions about Martha and I or _Freedonia_, something made a ruckus in the hall just outside the door. Soon, a rather large man dressed in his wealth barged in. "Excuse me!" Irritation steamed off of him, his cheeks nearly pink in his barely contained frustration that seemed to be directed at the play writer he glared at. "Hold hard a moment. This is abominable behaviour. A new play with no warning? I demand to see a script, Mr. Shakespeare. As Master of the Revels, every new script must be registered at my office and examined by me before it can be performed."

"Tomorrow morning, first thing, I'll send it 'round," he waved off the man.

"I don't work to your schedule, you work to mine. The script, now!"

"I can't."

A smug, little smirk appeared on the man's lips. "Then tomorrow's performance is cancelled."

"It's all go, 'round here, isn't it?" Martha whispered to the Doctor and I.

"I'm returning to my office for a banning order." The man began to moved back towards the door as he spoke. "If it's the last thing I do, _'Love's Labours Won_' will never be played." With that finally declaration, he stormed out of the room, leaving a room of silence.

I glanced around at the faces in the room, each almost expressionless as we digested the news. Really? Was that it? The reason why the play was lost was because of a missed due date? Disappointment caused my heart to sink. Honestly, I had expected and kinda wanted something more...brilliant than that. It was to be surmised when the Doctor got involved considering he was a magnet for trouble. Again, the difference of expectation and reality was shown to me.

"Whelp, talk about anti-climatic," I mumbled with a slight frown.

"I suppose that was rather anti-climatic," the Doctor agreed, his tone of voice suggesting he had expected something quite different as well.

"That's Lynley for you," Shakespeare muttered. He grabbed a metal tankard from the table, and then took a hearty gulp of what I assumed to be some kind of alcoholic drink.

Next to me Martha nodded, leaning forward to take hold of a tankard in front of her. "Well, then... mystery solved. That's _'Love's Labours Won'_ over and done with. Thought it might be something more, you know... more mysterious."

"We all did," I snorted.

Just as Martha began to take a sip of her drink, a grunt of pain echoed through the air. Shortly after a woman's scream pierced like a blade through the quiet night, new voices of panic and concern joining it afterwards. Tension captured everyone in the room for a brief moment before we were all released, chairs scrapping against the floors as we quickly stood. Bolting from the room, we raced down the steps with the Doctor leading. Beneath our feet, the rickey wood groaned and shook.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, we rushed out into the street to be met with the sight of Lynley stumbling about. Water spewed from his lips and his hands clutched his throat.

"It's that Lynley bloke." Martha exclaimed.

Titling my head, I continued to watch as water from seemingly no where pored out of his lips. "Is that water? Where's all of it coming from?"

"What's wrong with him? Leave it to me—I'm a Doctor," the Time Lord rushed forward to lend a helping hand while others just stood around and watched on.

"So am I! Near enough," Martha stated and followed after him, steadying Lynley's other side in an attempt to keep the large man up.

Glancing over my shoulder at a stunned Shakespeare and a gathering crowd, I admitted simply, "I'm not."

With a sudden cry and a stream of water, the rotund man fell onto the ground as if something had given out suddenly. The Doctor left his side to run down the street, searching for some invisible culprit, while I raced forward. I helped Martha roll Lynley onto his back, the medical student leaning over him. She pressed her ear to his chest, listening for a heart beat or any other sign of life.

"Gotta get the heart going," she mused to herself, shaking his shoulders as if that could wake him up."Mr Lynley, c'mon, can you hear me? You're gonna be all right."

She prepared to resuscitate him by opening his mouth, but she and I jumped away in surprise to see water continue to spill forth. "What the hell is that?" She cried out my line of thought.

The Doctor took one last look around and came back to the scene, bending down to examine him. "I've never seen a death like it," he muttered to us. "His lungs are full of water — he drowned."

"On dry land?" I questioned the possibility of that conclusion.

Ignoring me, he continued, "and then... I dunno, like a blow to the heart, an invisible blow." Okay, this was all starting to get _weird. _The Doctor stood up and turned to the woman from earlier in the inn, the owner I believe, "Good mistress, this poor fellow has died from a sudden imbalance of the humours. A natural if unfortunate demise. Call a constable and have him taken away."

I looked up at him oddly. Again, Doctor with the pathetic lies?

She nodded, slightly shaken by the turn of events, "Yes, sir."

A young woman descended the stairs of the inn and gripped her shoulder, "I'll do it, ma'am."

The owner nodded in agreement and the girl scurried to retrieve a constable. When the Doctor crouched down again, I asked, "Okay, what bullshit was that? What's _really _going on?"

"And why are you telling them that," Martha inquired, skeptical as well.

The Doctor looked at both of us grimly, "This lot still have got one foot in the Dark Ages. If I tell them the truth, they'll panic and think it was witchcraft."

Information about the Salem Witch Trials suddenly came to mind at that statement, especially the brutality and cruelty displayed during it. Preventing something like that was a good reason to lie."Not fun," I agreed. "But, seriously, what really happened to this guy?"

With a dramatic pause, the Doctor answer, voice full of seriousness, "Witchcraft."

I let out a low groan of frustration. Grumbling I muttered, "Of course it fucking is."


	8. TSC: Midsummer Night's Scream

**The Yoshinator: I'm so glad you are enjoying Anya! Last chapter was more of a funnier one than most, this one's more serious, but I try to keep mixing in some comic relief when it's needed. Updates are great! And looks like I'm starting to get better at them.**

**Fellowship of Avengers: ooh, I don't mean it like that you pervert. XD The Doctor actually says in an episode when someone asks him if he's get a plan: "No. It's a thing, it's like a plan but there's more greyness." They do, very badly. No one is really surprised. Of course you would. ;) Yeah, very gross. Yes, she does. Everyone want's to see Shakespeare. The Doctor is very lucky and just so happened to have the right currency. Yep, a brothel. The poor Doctor. XD I'm not sure, it was just in the script. Thank you :) there's a reason for the HP ****reference. He's the master of the revels, pretty much he runs the theater. Yep. That is so true.**

**alexatay13: Thank you so much! I'm really glad that you have been enjoying the story and Anya so far. I'm very happy you enjoy and think Anya is believable. She is a character that I have worked on for a long time so it's an accomplishment that she has been well ****received. Thanks for pointing that out. I guess that's what happens when I try to write Doctor Who set in Elizabethan England while watching the Sherlock Holmes movie set in Victorian London. ;)**

******Thanks to everyone that has reviewed, favorited, or alerted**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**The Shakespeare Code:  
****Midsummer Night's Scream**

_These are barren tasks, too hard to keep, not to see ladies, study, fast, not sleep! **  
**_- William Shakespeare

* * *

After the constable finally came to take Lynley's body where ever corpses go in Elizabethan London, people began to depart from the crowds they had formed on the street since all the panicked commotion had died down.

Wordlessly, the Doctor, Martha, and I followed Shakespeare back up the stairs and into his room. Shakespeare, rubbing his forehead, moved towards his desk to take his seat while we stood by the bookshelf near the door. The innkeeper, Dolly Bailey, stopped in front of the doorway. "I got you a room Sir Doctor," she announced. "You, Lady Anya, and Miss Jones are just across the landing." Slightly smiling, her hand gestured back towards the stairs.

In response the Doctor simply nodded. Normally I would have nudged and teased the Doctor about his could be considered rude behavior, but no longer was I in such a joking, teasing mood. Lynley's unexpected death had casted a shadow of disheartenment, washing away any good feelings from before. I mourned the loss of that happy feeling, not liking the heaviness suddenly pressing down on everyone. And the night had started _so _nicely too..._  
_

Despite that now awful feeling, I turned towards the inn owner. "Thank you," I said quietly to her, appreciating she had found a room for us considering the dilemma where we would sleep had not even crossed my mind, nor the Doctor's. She gave me a smile in return, happy for the acknowledgement. Giving me a small bow of the head, she soon left, needing to attend to her other guests.

Silence continued in the room, stretching and pressing down on us like a physical, painful weight. The people around me held nearly blank faces, the Doctor's set deeply into serious contemplation. Clearly, he was lost within his own vast mind, which wasn't hard to do I know from personal experience. Martha kept her eyes trained on the Doctor; her arms crossed over her chest as she stood still. While on the other hand, I couldn't stay still, constantly adjusting my pose or shifting my feet. My skin itched, especially my around wrists and neck. Huffing in frustration at my uncomfortableness, my eyes wandered about the room for something to do or think about, anything to distract me from the damned quietness.

The room was simple enough I supposed, full with wooden furniture and decorations fitting the time period. A four-poster bed stood along one wall, perfectly made with the sheets barely touched as if no had slept in it. Though the main center of the room was the large desk where Shakespeare sat, shortened candles still burning on the ink-stained, parchment riddled wooden surface. The man himself suddenly appeared so weary, eyes sunken in with purple bags darkening the skin beneath. Crumpled parchment laid about the floor, discarded works I figured. Eventually, my eyes landed upon the crosshatched windows where they stayed until someone finally spoke up.

"Poor Lynley," Shakespeare's voice tore through the quiet of the room, breaking the spell of silence. _Thank God._ "So many strange events." He suddenly looked at Martha and I, brows creasing in curious confusion. "Not least of all, this land of Freedonia where a woman can be a doctor?"

Martha turned to face him, "Where a woman can do what she likes." I smirked at that. One point for Martha.

The writer's attention shifted to our Time Lord guide. "And you, Sir Doctor. How can a man so young have eyes so old?"

"I do a lot of reading," his was voice monotone and his answer gave away nothing, certainly not the truth Shakespeare sought.

"A trite reply. Yeah, that's what I'd do." The Doctor smirked at the playwrite's reply, and so did I. Shakespeare looked to Martha again. "And you, you look at him like you're surprised he exists. The same way he looks at her," his eyes shifted to me. "He's as much of a puzzle to you as he is to me."

I raised a brow at that, glancing over my shoulder to look at the Doctor. _Surprised I exist, a puzzle? _Slightly bewildered by Shakespeare's accusation, he quickly recovered to give me a careless shrug as if he had no idea what the writer was talking about. My eyes narrowed into a suspicious glare. _Bullshit, _I mouthed at him. Giving him one last suspicious look to make sure he knew he wasn't off the hook yet, I turned back to Shakespeare whose eyes were now set on me. _Joy._

"You," he said to me, "the one who adapts so well to all as if she has no true place to belong."

His words caused a sudden tension to stiffen my body, because they were so..._true. _I had an uncomfortable feeling crawling against my skin that he wasn't looking _at _me but _into _me, so similar to how the Doctor sometimes looked at me. That he was staring straight into me, uncovering all those little details about myself that were secret to the world, to _me. _That he was learning more about _me _than I already knew. The feeling was horrible, tightening my body like a coil, pounding my heart, poisoning my blood, racing my mind, and over all just pissing me off.

Immediately defenses built, trying to seal him off, while my anger rose. Narrowing my eyes at him, I hissed my barrage, "Then there's _you. _A man who never sleeps and only works as if the fantasy of writing is more appealing than the harshness of reality."

Shakespeare's eyes widened visibly in surprise, giving me a small sense of satisfaction. How does it feel to have someone read you like a book, huh Willy? Some of the tension eased in me, mostly in relief that I had managed to create a wound with my partially true, mostly made-up attempt at a dissecting observation like Shakespeare's. I could tell the writer most likely skipped out on sleeping to write some more by the state of his bed and desk and the signs of fatigue. That last bit was pretty much me winging it. It was just an extra bit I added in because it seemed fancy and cool. What? Don't question me.

The surprise remained in his eyes while William gave me a small smirk as if he was...impressed? As it turned, winging it worked. Cool. Good information for lying or making up shit later. "Very impressive, my lady," he bowed his head in recognition and I had to bit my lip to keep from smirking in gratification and glee. Shakespeare thought _I _was _impressive. _Another point to Anya.

Martha let out an awkward cough, suddenly stating, "I think we should say good night." She looked at the Doctor before heading out the door.

Neither the Doctor nor I followed her.

"I must work," Will agreed, and I actually did smirk at that since he proved my statement right. "I have a play to complete." He rose from his chair and getting the cue, the Doctor and I started on our way out as well. "But I'll get my answers tomorrow, Doctor, milady, and I'll discover more about you and why this constant performance of yours."

The Time Lord paused in the doorway, and I managed not to run into his boney shoulder again, considering how much it'd hurt last time. "All the world's a stage," the Doctor responded to Shakespeare. I had to keep back a grin at the famous line.  
**  
**"Hmmm," William hummed, mind turning at the Time Lord's words. "I might use that." I coughed to cover an amused chuckle at the thought the famous playwrite getting his most famous lines from the Doctor reciting them. Talk about a paradox. "Good night, Doctor, milady."

"Nighty-night, Shakespeare," the Doctor murmured.

With a wave I added in, "Sweet dreams, Willy."

Catching a glimpse of his expression at being called _Willy_, I actually let out a small laugh which earned me an odd look from the Doctor. He raised a brow at me while I followed him across the landing and towards what was supposed to be our room. "Willy's reaction to being called Willy," I explained to him.

An _ooooh _moment flashed across his features briefly, causing me to roll my eyes at him with a smile. Before I could make any kind of comment, the Doctor walked through the open doorway of our room, with me close on his heels. Upon entering we saw Martha standing to one side of the room, a small candle in her hands she used to help light the cabinet she was currently investigating.

The room itself was not too bad, in Elizabethan standards anyway I saw. It contained everything we needed- a bed (unfortunately only one. Someone was sleeping on the floor and it wasn't going to be me), two nightstands, a cabinet-thing, a door to the bathroom, a table with a few chairs, some benches. A colorful tapestry hung behind the bed provided some decoration. Most of the light in with the room came from the candles mounted on the cream colored walls, providing a nice soft light.

"It's not exactly five-star, is it?" Martha commented, turning around to face us.

The Doctor closed the door behind me, eyes wandering around the room and quickly taking it in. "Oh, it'll do. I've seen worse."

"Haven't really stayed in anything besides a hospital," I said, walking past the Doctor to take a seat on the edge of the bed. It wasn't exactly the most comfortable mattress and it creaked when I sat down, but it was better than a stone bed like the one I had at the hospital. I moved my black bag from my shoulder and rested it on the floor by my feet.

"I haven't even got a toothbrush," Martha told him with a tilt of her head.

"Ooh." The Doctor began to pat down his pockets until he reached into one and pulled out a clear toothbrush. He handed it to Martha, who looked at it in surprised amusement. "Contains Venusian spearmint."

"Contains _what _spearmint?" I asked the Doctor who unbuttoned his pin-striped jacket and loosened his tie.

"So, who's going where?" Martha asked, gesturing to the main problem in the room, "I mean, there's only one bed."

"_Venusian_ spearmint," he answered me first before stating to Martha, "We'll manage. C'mon." Raising a brow, I looked at the bed and then the Doctor, seriously doubting that statement. Oblivious to me or ignoring me, The Doctor just flopped onto the bed, a loud _creak _emitting from it with his extra weight. Martha watched him settle himself comfortably on the bed, eyes glittering and lips smiling.

"So, magic and stuff," she started, moving closer to the other side of the bed and closer to the Doctor. "That's a surprise. It's a little bit _Harry Potter_."

The Doctor, who had mostly been staring off into spaced, looked at the medical student with a smile. "_Wait_ till you read Book Seven. Oh, I cried."

I snorted, grinning slightly as memories of reading that series fluttered through my mind. Although I couldn't remember where I read the books or when I did or if someone had recommended reading them, I did know I adored the brilliant novels and the movie adaptations as well. Remembering my reaction as I read the last one, I said, "By the time I got to the epilogue, I had used up five boxes of tissues and eaten three boxes of chocolate for comfort against the trauma." Hearing that, the Doctor grinned at me, though before he could comment Martha spoke up again.

"But is it real, though?" She asked in interest. "I mean, witches, black magic and all that, it's real?"

"'Course it isn't!" the Doctor exclaimed, nearly scoffing at the idea.

"Then explain the dude that drowned on dry land," I stated, slightly confused. He was the one that said Lynley had died because of _witchcraft_ and now he was denying the exists of _witchcraft. _Make up your mind, hypocrite.

Martha nodded in agreement with me. "Well, how am I supposed to know? I've only just started believing in time travel. Give me a break," she stated with a laugh.

"Looks like witchcraft, but it isn't," the Doctor said.

"Then what is it," I questioned.

He continued on, ignoring me. I rolled my eyes. "Can't be." He suddenly looked at Martha in question and in slightly confused. "Are you gonna stand there all night? Or...sit there all night?" He added to me.

Rolling my eyes, I moved up the bed, leaning against the tapestry. Martha hesitated for a moment, slightly confused by the sudden change in topic before she set the candle and toothbrush on the night stand. "Budge up a bit, then," she told us, climbing in on the Doctor's other side. Quickly, the Doctor and I scooted over, trying to make room where little could be found. We winded up all laying down, shoulder to shoulder. My hands gripped the side of the mattress tightly in my fear of falling off considering the little amount of room separating my body from the edge. I seriously didn't want to face plant into the floor. "Sorry, there's not much room. Us two- three here,"she quickly corrected, even though I knew she didn't mean _three, _going by her glittering eyes trained on the man next to her and the grin on her lips. "Same bed. Tongues will _wag_."

Biting back a groan, I tried to keep from commenting while Martha curled closer to the Doctor, who was still _completely _oblivious to everything she was saying. I kinda felt bad for her, seeing her grin fall as the Doctor rambled on about the witchcraft that really isn't witchcraft. "There's such a thing as psychic energy but a human couldn't channel it like that. Not without a generator the size of Taunton and I think we'd have spotted that."

_Like how you spotted the London Eye transmitter, _I kept from saying, knowing that he would just ignore me with his mind so focused right now. The Doctor shifted, turning his body onto its side towards Martha.

"No. There's something I'm missing, Martha." He stated as she lied down, face to face with him. I was the awkward statue to the side, looking down on the scene next to me and trying not to make insulting sarcastic comments. "Something really close, staring me right in the face and I can't see it. Rose would know." _Dear god, _I mentally groaned, actually hitting my forehead quietly with my palm, not that the Doctor nor Martha noticed. Martha was too busy staring at him, while he was too busy caught up in the memory of Rose. "A friend of mine, Rose. Right now, she'd say exactly the right thing."

I lightly groaned at that, knowing how bad the Doctor was making the situation for him and Martha. The medical student's face was suddenly wiped clear of any smile, since it was obvious she really didn't want to live up to the exemplar of a ghost and she shouldn't have to- neither one of us should be expected to, especially Martha. I knew I couldn't live up to Rose- I was nowhere near as 'good'.

"Still, can't be helped." The Doctor flipped onto his back, fracturing what could have been an 'intimate' moment. "You're a novice, never mind. I'll take you back home tomorrow. "

Clearly miffed, Martha stated, "Great!" She abruptly turned her back to him and blew out the candle on the night stand, bathing her side of the bed in darkness.

I let out a sigh, shifting uncomfortably on the bed. Time just ticked by, slowly moving while Martha faded off into sleep, and I supposed the Doctor did as well, considering his eyes were closed.

I remained awake.

I couldn't fall asleep, nor did I have the desire to. Laying on the bed, uncomfortableness scratched across my flesh while my mind continued to race with the sudden presences of fear at the thought of sleep. I was afraid that if I let my eyes to close and my mind to rest that it would never awaken, that another coma would imprison my body, that my memories would be wiped away again, that my mind would be left to rot within itself again in that boring blackness of nothing.

My fears were mostly ridiculous, but they were made so frightening by my paranoia. Instead of being brave and facing my fears by going to sleep, I followed my basis reaction- to be the coward that runs away. To me avoiding the problem seemed like a better option; it was an option that could allow me to pretend I wasn't some scared, paranoid fool afraid of something that was not likely to happen.

Sighing, I dragged my body from the bed, another creak following me. At the noise I winced and quickly glanced at my companions to see if my movements or the noise had awoken them. With relief, I noticed Martha simply shift slightly while the Doctor remained still, his eyes still closed.

Knowing I would quickly grow bored, I searched the room for something to do. My eyes rested upon my bag at the foot of the bed- the mysterious black bag that had magically appeared in the hospital and apparently belonged to me. Moving quietly, I retrieved the bag from the floor and headed towards the table off to the side of the room. After setting the bag down, I grabbed a lit candle from the wall, happy to see that it wasn't attached to its iron holder. Placing it on the table next to my bag, I took a seat in the chair, scooting closer to the table.

_Damn it_, I winced hearing the scrap of the chair legs on the wooden floor. Slightly panicking, I twisted my head towards the bed, and to my relief (again) saw that the noise had not woken either of them. Once settled, I brought the bag closer, taking time to notice its simple design. It was quite plain, a black bag and that was all. I picked up the candle, using the light of the small flame to illuminate the contents of the bag as I began to sort through it. Martha had found the sketch diary in the bag, which had given me my name, so I wondered what other information could I find from the bag as well.

A small keychain, attached to the strap of the bag led down into it. I tried to see what was on the end of the keychain but my eyes unconsciously shifted away from it to land on something that glittered gold in the candle light. Curious, I pulled it out from the bag to see it was a bracelet. It was a simply designed piece of jewelry, made out a golden chain with green gems and a small circle charm engraved with an odd circle motif. Hmm, pretty.

Setting it out on the table, I continued to pull out everything I could find. Eventually a pile of weirdly assorted items had formed. Gum, hair ties, several books (including _the Two Towers, And Then There Were None, A Study in Scarlet_, along with several more), a banana, a flashlight, several pencils, pens, a bowtie, a pair of socks, a watch that didn't work, a pack of tissues, an iPhone, and the sketch diary.

I packed mostly everything back into the bag, knowing none it could give me more information. Only the phone and sketch book remained on the table. I picked up the phone contained in a simple white case, studying it intently. The lock screen was a picture of stars, making me smirk. Sliding the bar to unlock, I typed in the passcode that suddenly rose to mind. _1011. _

The phone unlocked and I spent the next several minutes searching through it, looking at all the contacts, notes, messages, pictures, anything that could reveal more information. To my disappointment, the phone was mostly clear besides a few apps and games. But I did manage to catch a break when I checked the contacts, discovering only one that had managed to be saved.

_Mr. Handsome Harkness. _

I snorted in amusement at the name, instinctually knowing it to be some kind of joke between friends. My heart uplifted at that, the thought that somewhere in my unknown past I had a friend- an actual friend which led me to wonder what else I had. A family, maybe...

Before my thoughts spiraled down into the possibilities of unknown _maybes _and _what ifs, _I quickly shook my head, banishing them away. Most likely that train of thought would have left me in a dark, depressing hole of what I didn't know, which was something to be avoided.

But then in pure curiosity I decided to try calling the number for _Mr. Handsome Harkness. _Briefly, I considered the attempt stupid since I was in _1599_, but to my pleasant surprise a ringing filled my ear as the call sent without a problem. My phone worked in the late Middle Ages. Huh, cool.

The dial continued to ring and ring and ring until a female computerized voice announced _this number is no long in service. _Frowning, I hung up the phone before the voice could add any annoying suggestions on what to do next. Damnit, dead-end.

I tossed my phone back into the bag, turning towards the sketch diary. I flipped through the pages to see if any drawings had been left, but besides the self-portrait there wasn't any left. Although I had discovered that someone had torn out a page. Leaning one elbow on the table, I retrieved a pencil from my purse, deciding to try sketching as a way to fight against boredom and to see if still had the talent or if it had been wiped away as well.

As I began to draw, I discovered with relief that I still had that talent shown in the self-portiat and doodles on the cover. Time slipped past, unnoticed by me as sketching consumed my focus. In commemoration of this trip, I had chosen to draw an accurate picture of the famous author we'd met, sitting at his desk and writing diligently like he probably was doing as I drew.

It was peaceful, drawing in the light of a candle, the only sounds being the gentle cackling of the little flame.

A scream suddenly shattered the quiet night.

"Damnnit," I hissed, my hand jerking at the unexpected noise and creating an unwanted line to form across Willy's forehead. Panicking, I quickly shoved the sketch book and pencil into my bag just as the Doctor shot from the bed and dashed out the door. Martha jumped in surprise, rolling off the bed to follow the Doctor. Grabbing my bag, I was out the door too, hurrying across the landing back to Shakespeare's room where the scream had emanated from.

Just as we entered the room, Will's head snapped up, eyes narrowed in sleepy consciousness. The Doctor kneeled down and began to closely examine Dolly's body where it laid across the floor. The confused author sputtered off questions. "Wha'? What was that?"

While I stood silently by the door, Martha ran towards the window, gasping slightly. I looked out the open window, feeling my mouth drop a bit when I managed to see the silhouette of a witch on a broom flying in the night sky. _Holy shit._

"Her heart gave out," the Doctor reported, looking at a slightly horrified Shakespeare who'd finally caught sight of the body of his friend. "She died of fright."

Martha called out, "Doctor?"

Hearing her call, he joined her at the window. "What did you see?"

"A witch."

* * *

Dawn had started to lighten the sky as the sun began to rise when the constable had come to take the innkeeper's body away. Now we all sat in our seats from the night before at Shakespeare's desk, all of us silent from the night's events.

"Oh, sweet Dolly Bailey," the author stated, turning away from the window he had gazed out of in silence for a while. I smiled sadly at how fondly he spoke of the rather kind innkeeper. I knew we both agreed it was such a shame she had died. "She sat out three bouts of the plague in this place. We all ran like rats. But what could have scared her so? She had such enormous spirit." He exclaimed, sitting down in his chair.

Dragging his hands down his face and then resting his chin against them, the Doctor quoted, "Rage, rage against the dying of the light."

"Though wise men at their end know dark is right," I continued the familiar poem, earning a impressed glance from the Doctor. _Do not go gentle into that good night _by Dylan Thomas. Good poem.

The author's eyes widened as he pointed towards us. "I might use that."

"You can't. It's someone else's," the Doctor informed him and Shakespeare seemed saddened at that.

"But the thing is," Martha started before beginning to list the unfortunate events of the past few hours, "Lynley drowned on dry land, Dolly died of fright and they were both connected to you."

Slightly insulted at her assertion, he asked. "You're accusing me?"

"No!" She answered quickly. "But I saw a witch, big as you like, flying, cackling away, and you've written about witches." _Macbeth, _I silently thought back to one of my favorite plays.

"I have? When was that?" he asked in clear confusion.

The Doctor turned towards Martha, telling her in a low voice, "Not, not quite yet."

_Spoilers,_ a sudden voice full of delighted teasing came to memory and it pissed me off that a face nor any other kind of knowledge did not come with it. Seriously, when would I catch a break with my amnesia. It was frustration not to know anything about your own self.

"Peter Streete spoke of witches," William said.

"Who's Peter Streete?" the medical student asked.

Recognizing the name from the info left in my brain about the Globe Theater, I stated, "Wasn't he the architect?"

"Our builder." Shakespeare nodded. "He sketched the plans to the Globe."

"The architect," the Doctor mused, almost absentmindedly. Suddenly, his eyebrows creased, thoughts racing across his mind. "Hold on. The architect! The architect!" He slammed his hand down onto the table, causing all of us to glance at him. "The Globe! Come on!" He jumped out of his seat and rushed off in a blur of excitement and realization.

Martha, Shakespeare, and I looked at one another before following after him, the author pausing to grab his finished script. We raced through the waking streets of London, zooming towards the theater. Once we reached it, Will pushed open the doors to the pit and we entered. Unlike the full house of last night, the theater was now completely empty, but still just as beautiful. Shakespeare, Martha, and I traveled up the stairs to stand on the stage. I grinned, looking around at the vantage point I had of the whole Globe from this spot. A sudden thrill filled me, thinking about what it would be like to stand on this stage and perform, speaking the brilliant words of Shakespeare to a mesmerized audience.

The Doctor stood in the center of the pit, turning in circles as his eyes took in every little detail. His fingers moved as he counted. "The columns there, right? 14 sides. I've always wondered but I never asked...," the Time Lord muttered quietly to himself. He turned towards the stage. "Tell me, Will, why 14 sides?"

"It was the shape Peter Streete thought best," William answered with a shrug. "That's all. Said it carried the sound well."

"Why does that ring a bell? 14…"

Martha offered, "There are 14 lines in a sonnet."

"So there is. Good point. Words and shapes following the same design," he nodded, beginning to pace across the hay littered floor. "14 lines, 14 sides, 14 facets…Oh, my head. Tetradecagon... think, think, think! Words, letters, numbers, lines!" Snorting in amusement, I watched him ruffle his hair in frustration before beginning to whack his head with each word.

"This is just a theatre," Will argued.

The Doctor approached the stage, leaning against it. "Oh, but a theatre's magic, isn't it? You should know. Stand on this stage, say the right words with the right emphasis at the right time... Oh, you can make men weep, or cry with joy, change them." I smiled at that, whole heartedly agreeing with what he said. Who knew the Doctor could be such a wordsmith? Suddenly, his eyes began to widen and his face fell. "You can change people's minds just with words in this place. And if you exaggerate that..." He began slowly, wandering off away from the stage again.

"It's like you're police box," Martha added, "Small wooden box with all that _power_ inside." She emphasized the word, causing the Doctor to swivel back to look at her and me to grin at her.

"A wooden box he can't drive worth a shit," I muttered quietly to her, making sure Will didn't hear. Wouldn't want to confuse him, or give him reason to think I was mad. Martha giggled, smiling at me in amusement.

Seeing Martha giggle, the Doctor gave me a suspicious look to which I responded with a not-so-innocent smile. Then he grinned at Martha, stating, "_Oh_. Oh, Martha Jones, I like you." She smiled widely while the Doctor moved on. "Tell you what, though. Peter Streete would know. Can I talk to him?"

"You won't get an answer," Shakespeare informed us. "A month after finishing this place... lost his mind."

"Why? What happened?" Martha asked, frowning with concern.

"Started raving about witches, hearing voices, babbling. His mind was addled."

"Where is he now?" The Doctor asked.

"Bedlam."

Knowing _exactly_ what that place was I frowned. "What's Bedlam?" Martha inquired, apparently not knowing.

"It's an asylum," I told her.

Shakespeare continued, "Bethlem Hospital. The madhouse."

"We're gonna go there," the Doctor declared. "Right now. Come on." And with that, he headed out the door.

"Looks like we're going to get sectioned before you get home," I commented to Martha as we traveled down the stage stairs, following after our alien guide while the author was behind us.

"Wait!" William called out. "I'm coming with you. I want to witness this at first hand!" A couple of actors passed by us when we exited through the doors.

"How exciting," Martha stated to me with a joking grin as we turned a few corners, slipping through the already busy main street into a few smaller ones that were just as busy and full of life. Willy, who had fallen behind to chat with the actors, quickly caught up, coming to stand in between Martha and I.

"So, tell me of Freedonia," he requested of us. "Where women can be doctors, writers, actors..." The author looked at me expectantly, obviously wondering what profession I held since he already knew I wasn't a doctor from my admission last night.

"Artist," I answered, thinking back to my sketch diary. He smirked at me.

Martha countered what he was suggesting, making a what I considered to be a very good point "This country's ruled by a woman."

"Ah, she's royal. That's God's business," he rebutted, before smiling charmingly, "Though you are a royal beauty."

Stopping suddenly, she turned to face him, although she never stopped grinning, "Whoa, Nelly! I know for a fact you've got a wife in the country." _Not that it makes a difference, _I thought knowing how different this time was to things like that. Men were never looked at wrong for having something, or rather some_one_ on the side.

"But Martha, this is _Town_."

"Come on," the Doctor stomped up to us, not happy with the sudden slow pace in this urgent situation. "We can all have a good flirt later."

Willy looked at the Doctor, his eyes trailing up and down his slim, attractive figure. "Is that a promise, Doctor?" He asked with a sly grin.

My hand flew to my mouth, trying to cover up the laughter threatening to burst forward. The Doctor looked at him in surprise. "Oh, 57 academics just punched the air," he muttered, adding to my mirth, "Now move!" He called loudly before jogging off again.

"Oh Willy," I sighed fondly, "you're the best."

"Verily? Care to prove it?" He asked with a large grin.

"Only in your dreams" I patted his shoulder before suddenly racing forward after the Doctor, hearing Will chuckle behind me.

* * *

Soon, we reached the 'hospital' which was a tall building towards the edge of town, surrounded by walls. Approaching the black gates that read _Bethlem Hospital_ and were flanked by two angel statues, the Doctor quickly flashed the guard his psychic paper and asked to see the patient Peter Streete. Apparently the guard wasn't a genius considering the paper did actually work this time.

The gates opened, and we were led into the building, through winding halls, and finally into the _ward. _Loud screams of agony and pain echoed down the stone corridor along with the rattle of chains and the laughter of madness, the sounds so horrible that it physically pained me to hear them crying out for the help and relief that would never come. The jailor led us through the hall, and I kept my eyes forward, not wanting to see the soiled and bleeding hands reaching out between the bars of their _cells_, reaching out for us. _God,_ it was terrible there. I found my good mood from before slipping away again.

"Does my lord, Doctor, wish some entertainment while he waits?" The jailor asked, flourishing the whip in his hand slightly. "I'd whip these madmen. They'll put on a good show for ya. Bandog and Bedlam!" He grinned and I looked at him in absolute _disgust. _What kind of person would whip another human being for the sick entertainment of another? Or for anything?

"No, I don't!" The Doctor quickly said with a controlled anger as he looked around, enjoying this as much as I did.

The jailor just shrugged. "Wait here, my lords, while I make him decent for the ladies," he stated before sauntering down the hallway ahead of us as we stopped.

"Sick bastard," I grumbled to his back, glaring as he whipped at a '_patient' _through the iron bars.

Martha glanced at a cell, completely horrified at the treatment of the patients. "So this is what you call a hospital, yeah? Where the patients are whipped to entertain the gentry? And you put your friend in here?" She stated with a bit of disgust to Will.

"Oh, and it's all so different in Freedonia," he rolled his eyes.

"But you're clever!" She argued, "you honestly think this place is any good?"

"I've been mad," he admitted, his voice darker. I frowned. "I've lost my mind. Fear of this place set me right again. It serves its purpose."

"Mad in what way?"

The Doctor had been standing off towards the side, watching silently and never commenting, until now. "You lost your son," he stated to Will softly.

Sympathy and sadness sudden swelled my heart as I looked at Will, seeing his grief and pain flash through his eyes in remembrance of his late son. "My only boy," he quietly said, "The Black Death took him. I wasn't even there."

Realizing what she had brought up, Martha stiffened, "I didn't know. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry as well," I told the writer, laying a what was meant to be a comforting hand on his shoulder. Then my eyes shifted to the Doctor's, his usually bright eyes dark with the same mourning remembrance. "I'm so sorry," I told the Time Lord. I knew very well that the war had also taken the Doctor's son from him, just as the plague had taken Will's. I shook my head, not able to imagine that- the loss of a child. Children were so precious, innocent and pure, full of life and joy. Although sure I did not have any of my own, I knew how important and wonderful a child was, especially your own. And to _lose them..._

The writer looked at me. "You were right, you know, about why I write so much. It's an escape. My son's death is my harsh reality. It made me question everything. The futility of this fleeting existence. To be or not to be...,"at that _very _familiar phrase, he paused. "Oh, that's quite good."

"You should write that down." The Doctor suggested.

He considered it. "Hm, maybe not. A bit pretentious?"

_'Meh' _the Doctor mouthed while I stated, "It's for a play. When is a play _not _pretentious?"

Will smirked at me, "True milady."

As I softly smiled at him, the jailor suddenly appeared at the end of the hall. "This way m'lord!" He loudly called out. Walking forward, we followed the large man to the cell at the very end of the corridor. Keys clanged together as he unlocked the door. A loud groan came from the metal hinges as it swung open. "They can be dangerous, m'lord. Don't know their own strength."

"I think it helps if you don't whip them!" the Doctor glared at the man in anger. He jerked his head toward the door. "Now get out!"

The jailer quickly left the cell.

So, he was a smart sick bastard.

Once everyone entered, the jailor closed the door with another metallic groan. The clanking of keys informed me that we were locked in, not that it mattered at the moment. Slowly, the Doctor approached the huddle mass of dirtied rags that remained unmoving. I followed behind the Doctor, watching the hunched man closely. "Peter? Peter Streete?"

"He's the same as he was," Shakespeare commented as the Doctor kneeled down before Peter. "You'll get nothing out of him."

Ignoring him, the Doctor rested a hand on Peter's shoulder, watching the unresponsive man. "Peter?" I jumped and kept back a curse of surprise when Peter's sudden head shot up, wide eyes glassy, crazed and full of fear. His open lips trembled as if he wanted to say something but couldn't for some reason, like some unknown force was preventing him from speaking anything or answering any questions.

"Peter, I'm the Doctor," he introduced, studying the man intently. He placed his fingers along his face, his hand's holding Peter's head in a position I found familiar. When we'd first meet, the Doctor had held my head the same way, promising me he could help the confusion in my mind. Although not much help with my odd amnesia, I could only hope it worked with Peter's madness that I was suddenly so suspicious about as if nothing was as it seemed.

"Go into the past, one year ago," he commanded gently as Peter watched him with those mad, scared eyes. "Let your mind go back, back to when everything was fine and shining. Everything that happened in this year since happened to somebody else. It was just a story. A winter's tale. Let go. Listen. That's it, just let go." As if not to frighten him, the Doctor slowly and gently laid Peter down on his cot. Standing next to me, the Doctor looked down at Peter. "Tell me the story, Peter. Tell me about the witches."

"Witches spoke to Peter," the mad man stated, eyes staring out into nothing. He spoke quickly, shakily and with rapid hand motions. We all looked at him, watching and hearing everything he did and said. "In the night, they whispered. Got Peter to build the Globe to their design. THEIR design! The 14 walls — always 14. When the work was done" he let out a laugh that nearly made me shiver in fear and disgust, "they sapped poor Peter's wits."

Martha continued to look at the poor man in sympathy; Will looked at him in interest. I like Martha, felt sympathetic for the man and anger at these 'witches.' The Doctor questioned Peter some more, trying to gain as much information as he could that would certainly help to stop these witches. "Where did Peter see the witches? Where in the city?" He crouched down beside the man. "Peter, tell me. You've got to tell me where were they?"

"All Hallows Street."

"Too many words," a gravely voice suddenly cackled.

I looked over to see where it came from before suddenly jumping back in shock and holding out my hands in front of me. "Holy shit!" Once where there was nothing but air a witch crouched. And it _definitely _was a witch with the stereotypical matted hair, hooked nose, weather, wart covered face. _Damn_. She was not a good sight to see.

The Doctor shot to his feet, grabbing my arm and tugging me towards him as he moved to stand by Martha. The medical student took a step back, exclaimed, "What the hell?"

"Just one touch of the heart," the witch declared, rolling her finger through the air. Beneath her on the cot, Peter violently and visibly trembled with fear.

And with that said she laid one finger upon Peter's chest before anyone could move and just as the Doctor screamed out, "Nooooo!"

With a painful shriek, his body seized, stilling along with his heart on the cot. The witch gasped in content, her eyes closing like if she gain some kind of...pleasure from killing a man who'd they already hurt enough. Peter's eyes glossed over, the light of life fading from them as he ceased to be.

"Witch! I'm seeing a witch!" Shakespeare cried.

The witch lifted her hands up once again and wriggling her long-nailed fingers "Who would be next, hmm? Just one touch."

I clenched my fists at my side, knuckles growing white with the force of the rage suddenly boiling in me. I couldn't help but feel so enraged at this witch at how she'd manipulated and used Peter to get what she wanted and then destroyed his life, breaking his mind and sending him to this hellhole. And just now she'd killed him, tossed him away like a broken toy. "Why?" I hissed at her with a quiet, deadly voice. I took a step forward, the ferocity of my anger at her overpowering my fear of her. "Why did you kill him?! He wasn't a threat to you."

The witch just sneered at me, "He'd out lived his use."

"_Use_?! Out lived his _use_?!" I repeated with a near shriek, glaring daggers into her ugly face. "People are not to be used! They are human _beings. _Not your pawns to move and to toy with, only to cast them aside later, you..." the anger that consumed my mind made me struggle for some word to call her, to describe her, "you..._bitch._"

By the time I'd finished hissing at her, my blood ran hot through my veins, searing its way all throughout my body that seemed to pulse with my ire. My heart pounded in my chest, thundering so loudly I wandered if the others could hear its mad pace. My nails bit painfully into the skin of my palms with the force I clenched my fists. I continued to glare at her in anger and disgust, not being able to stand her actions, not being able to stand how she could do that to Peter, not being able to stand how anyone could just use a person like that. The one thing I suddenly knew for certain was that she needed to be stopped. Her and any other witch that had used Peter.

"I think you mean witch," the Doctor said from behind me.

"No, I mean _bitch._"

The bitch looked at me, cackling madly. "Oh, oh your heart is racing. I'll stop your frantic hearts. Poor, fragile mortals."

"Let us out!" Martha shouted, turning towards the door. She grabbed the bars, yanking on them frantically, continuing to cry out in a sea of already shouting, pleading voices. "Let us out!"

"That's not gonna work," the Doctor stated, not even battling an eyelash as he continued to watch the witch. "The whole building's shouting that."

"Who will die first, hmm?" the witch questioned, eyes lifting from her nails and darting between us. Her eyes settled on me, glinting with malevolent intent.

"Well, if you're looking for volunteers." He grabbed my wrist, tugging me back behind him, probably trying to protect me- not that I needed him to. He stepped towards the cackling crone.

"What the hell are you doing, you idiot," I hissed at his back, wishing he wouldn't pull another life-threatening stunt like he did on the moon with Judoon and plasmavore, just in case Martha and I wouldn't be able to save his ass again. The Doctor was the only person that had the knowledge to stop this bitch which was one of a million reasons for him not to die- or rather for him not to get himself killed.

"No! Don't!" Martha screamed at him.

Shakespeare asked, "Doctor, can you stop her?"

"No mortal has power over me," the hag scoffed with a gloating smile.

"He's not mortal," I mockingly smirked at her. _Ha, in your fugly face._

The Doctor stated, shoving his hands into his pocket. He glared at her. "Oh, but there's a power in words. If I can find the right one — if I can just know you..."

"None on Earth has knowledge of us," she protested.

As the Doctor continued to gain confidence, the witch grew unsettled. She should be; she was against the Doctor now. "Then it's a good thing I'm here. Now think, think, think...Humanoid female, uses shapes and words to channel energy...ah, fourteen! That's it! Fourteen," he yelled out suddenly in realization. The bitch looked startled, caught. She attempt to speak, to do something before he could finish, but the Doctor wouldn't let her get a word in, "The fourteen stars of the Rexel planetary configuration! Creature, I name you Carrionite!"

At the name, she let out a high-pitched screech, fading away in a burst of light. Once she was gone, I let out a sigh of relief, all of my rage seemingly disappearing now that I didn't have to glare at her ugly face. I was glad the naming trick of the Dcotor's worked, considering I nor anyone else had a fucking clue on how to defeat her. Well, we could have gone with the stereotypical water since she looked like a stereotypical witch, but I'm not sure how effective that would have been...

Martha looked him in awe, "What did you do?"

"I named her. The power of a name. That's old magic," the Doctor answered, almost smug and over annunciating the c in _magic_.

"But there's no such thing as magic," Martha stated, remembering how he'd stated that fact before.

"Well, it's just a different sort of science," he explained. "You lot, you chose mathematics. Given the right string of numbers, the right equation, you can split the atom. Carrionites use words instead."

"Use them for what?" Shakespeare said the question on my mind.

Suddenly, the Doctor got very quite, his face darkening in seriousness. Seeing that expression, I tensed, knowing the answer couldn't be anywhere near good.

"The end of the world."


	9. TSC: The Play's the Thing

**The Yoshinator: I'm glad you liked the idea. It was one that just came to me as I started the chapter, and after working on it a bit I figured out how I could expand more on the scared to sleep idea which is why she ****decided to draw.**

**Fellowship of Avengers: Yes, I'm sure. ;) He is. Yep, and there's even more in this chapter. ;) Yep. Freedonia grows on you after a while. I don't really know either. How could you _not _read the books?! I love those books. They're the best! You need to read them. Yep, she is. I had to throw LoTR in there. ;) So would I. Thanks ;) Once you meet _Mr. Handsome Harkness _you'll understand why his contact name is that. XD Yes it did, and that's for a reason that will be explained later on. So do I. I'm a decent artist, but not that great of one. They did. Shakespeare had not written anything about witches when Martha mentioned it. That is true. Things were different back then. 57 academics...that is referring to the debate on either wether or not Shakespeare had written about a man in some of his love poems. When Will attempt to flirt with the Doctor, the Doctor made the 57 academics comment, saying they were right. Ikr? He did and his son died, along with all the other Time Lords. Yep, there are many famous lines ;) Nope, not good at all.**

**LadyMaluHolmes: Yes, it's Jack. Although Anya doesn't quite know that. ;) It is a Ten/OC fic, but Jack will have a special friendship with Anya once they met. Martha is not my favorite companion (that's Donna ;) but I do like her. I have a friend that doesn't really like Martha either.**

**I'msorrymylove: Thanks! I'm glad you are enjoying it so far. There will be several more clues along with way about Anya. Everything will eventually be revealed, including who wrote the letter, although the answers will not come all at once. ;)**

**Guest: Thank you! I'm glad you like it and think it's brilliant. You ask and I ****deliver :)**

**********Thanks to everyone that has reviewed, favorited, or alerted**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**The Shakespeare Code:  
****The Play's the Thing**

_So plunge your pen-like words and cast cruel spells, string together poison words that quickly kill.  
- _Armchair Cynics

* * *

Tension stiffened the atmosphere of the tiny cell while silence loomed over us in a creepy foreboding way, like a coffin lid sliding close. No one spoke, no one moved as the lethality of the situation was made clear for all.

"Well, shit," I stated, unable to stand the lasting quietness any longer.

The Doctor glanced at me, an eyebrow raised. "Not how I would put it but...yeah."

"So what are we going to do," Martha asked the Doctor, him being the unspoken leader considering the fact this was a daily occurrence for him and practically his occupation- saving the world. He was the only one with knowledge to defeat the witches...or Carrionites.

"We definitely need to get out of here," I said, taking a glance around the small cell and trying not to look at poor Peter's body. The sight of it would just piss me off again and I didn't want to give Shakespeare and Martha another scare, whom both looked a bit surprised and even slightly scared when I had a go at the witch. They had seen my agitation before, but never my anger like that. "I've had enough of this uhhh..._lovely room _and _hospital._"

"Agreed," Martha concurred, glancing longingly out the bars. Apparently I wasn't the only one wishing to leave this horrible place, since Will and Martha looked about done as well. The Doctor ran hand through his hair in left over exasperation from dealing with the Carrionite before moving towards the door. Rummaging through his pocket quickly, he pulled out his trusty sonic screwdriver and...soniced the door. A loud _click_ sounded and the Doctor pushed open the door, quickly making his way through it.

Shakespeare looked at him oddly, brows furrowed in curious confusion as to how the Doctor was able to open up the door. Wisely, the man decided not to question it as we high tailed it out of Bedlam.

I was _not _going to miss that place.

* * *

Running through the streets of London, we deiced to go back to Shakespeare's room in the Elephant Inn. Once we reached the now familiar room, I took a seat, feeling a dull ache spreading through my feet and legs from all the running we'd done so far. I relaxed, slumping in the chair to give my body some rest considering the amount of sleep I chose not to get the night before. Martha decided to lean against the cabinet while the Doctor threw aside his coat and paced the room, his mind obviously going over the situation and his knowledge. Will splashed water on his face from a basin, almost as if he was physically trying to wash away everything he'd just witness- especially the murder of his friend.

I couldn't blame him. Something like that I would usually would want to forget, but since my mind knew so little it had become determined to memorize everything I saw, heard, or felt to make up for the empty space.

"So, Doc, what do you know about these...Carrionites," I asked in curiosity, also hoping he had a way of stopping them. For some reason I didn't think that naming thing would work again.

"The Carrionites disappeared way back at the dawn of the universe," the Doctor informed us, scratching at the back of his neck. "Nobody was sure if they were real or legend."

"Well, I'm going for real," William stated as he grabbed a title.

With a snort, I agreed with Willy, "I second that. No way a face as ugly as that is not real." I shivered slightly remembering how the ugly old hag had just popped up out of nowhere and scared us all.

"But what do they want?" Martha questioned the Doctor.

"A new empire on Earth," he answered, leaning back against a table with a great sigh. "A world of bones and blood and witchcraft."

A horrific image of a world falling into chaos and cruelty filled my mind as I imagined a world underneath the control of the Carrionites. _Not good. _Trying not to retch at the possibility of the Earth becoming something so terrible, I grimaced, muttering sarcastically, "_Lovely."_

"But how?" The medical student persisted.

Instantly, the Doctor turned his head towards Shakespeare, Martha and I automatically following his line of sight. "I'm looking at the man with the words."

The man himself wiped his face with a towel, suddenly seeing the Doctor focused so intently on him. Silent in confusion for a moment, William said almost affronted, "Me? But I've done nothing."

"Hold on, though," Martha asked, "What were you doing last night, when that Carrionite was in the room?"

"Finishing the play."

"What happens on the last page?" the Doctor asked quickly, obviously something had struck a thought within him.

"The boys get the girls," Shakespeare relented, admitting the ending of the play he'd written last night. _Spoilers, _that voice called again in my mind and again I remembered nothing else. Damnit. "They have a bit of a dance. It's all as funny and thought provoking as usual" suddenly, he paused, thinking about his script. Looking up at the Doctor with confused eyes, William said, "— except those last few lines. Funny thing is... I don't actually remember writing them."

Pushing himself off of the table, the Doctor finally had that 'ah!' moment of clarification and realization. About time. "That's it." He began to explain, moving slowly closer towards the writer. "They _used_ you. They _gave_ you the final words. Likea spell, like a code. 'Love's Labours Won' — it's a weapon! The right combination of words, spoken at the right place with the shape of the Globe as an energy converter!"

"The play's the thing!" I stated, following along what the Doctor had realized. The Doctor looked back at me with a grin, and I realized he had almost said the famous phrase himself until I cut in. Looking at the author, I snorted as Shakespeare's eyes widened, liking it.

Before he could speak the Doctor stated, "And yes, you can have that." The author smiled, brining out a smile from me. If this kept up, Shakespeare was going to get all of his ideas and famous works from us.

"We need to find the Carrionites before they can use the play to bring their..._lovely _world to life," I stated and the Doctor nodded in agreement. "So Willy, do you know where this _All Hallows Street _is," I asked, thinking back to the information Peter had given us before he'd died.

"I'm sorry, I do not," he answered. Before we or rather I could panic on how we could find the witches, Will moved towards his desk, informing us, "but I do have a map of London." He opened a drawer, rummaging through it quickly and then pulling out a long scroll. Unfurling it, he brought it over to the table where the Doctor, Martha, and I quickly gathered 'round.

Putting on the glasses he didn't need, the Doctor ran a finger over the map, his eyes quickly scanning the street names. "All Hallows Street." He suddenly cried out, pointing to it. I glanced at the map, noticing how the street wasn't far from where the inn was. "There it is. Martha, Anya we'll track them down. Will, you get to the Globe. Whatever you do, stop that play!" The Doctor ordered

"I'll do it." Shakespeare said with a grin, reaching out his hand. He shook the Doctor's hand. "All these years I've been the cleverest man around. Next to you, I know nothing."

Martha smiled, "Oh, don't complain."

The author's grin just grew. "I'm not. It's marvellous. Good luck, Doctor."

"Good luck, Shakespeare." The Doctor responded, maneuvering around Martha and I to grab hold of the coat he'd precariously tossed. Shrugging it on, he headed towards the door, calling out, "Once more unto the breach!"

Following after him, I grinned and managed to hear Shakespeare say, "I like that. Wait a minute... that's one of mine."

I let out a laugh as the Doctor poked his head through the door. "Oh, just shift!"

* * *

While Will started on his way towards the Globe Theater where the play of doom was in progress, we'd legged it through the deserted back allies of London towards All Hallows Street. In all honesty, the witches couldn't have pick a more conspicuous street to live on. I mean All _Hallows _Street, come one. To his credit, the Doctor only got us lost two times, claiming he thought we had the right turn but didn't. Without another run into a brothel, we eventually found the coveted street. We scanned the street for a house that screamed 'witches live here' since they probably lacked the same inconspicuous sense to live somewhere else but _All Hallows Street_. Nightfall had fallen, giving the air an ominous tone to the doom creeping upon the world. I ignored it and the horrible feeling it gave me as I squinted through the torchlight for the house.

"All Hallows Street, but which house?" The Doctor asked himself, turning in a circle as he scanned his surroundings.

Walking up to him, Martha asked, "The thing is, though... am I missing something here? The world didn't end in 1599. It just didn't. Look at me and Anya— we're living proof."

"Time can be rewritten." The words came from my mouth completely unbidden, spilling from my lips. The phrase tugged at a strand of familiarity in my empty memories. For a moment I thought I must have known them from something I'd seen in the Doctor's mind, but that didn't feel quite right. Somehow, _I knew _those words. In my forgotten past I must have heard them or said them. _How?_ Well, the answer never came since it had been stolen from me along with most of my memories.

_Seriously, when am I going to get a freaking break, _I mentally huffed in annoyance but never voiced my problems out loud.

Turning to me, the Doctor nodded and smiled. "Anya get's it, but she cheated. She looked into my mind." I opened my mouth to explain how I didn't _cheat,_ but the Doctor continued on._ "_Oh, how to explain the mechanics of the infinite temporal flux? I know! '_Back to the Future'_! It's like '_Back to the Future_'!"

"The film?" Martha asked while I smirked. Like I had said before, the knowledge humans had on time travel came from movies. I had to applaud the Doctor for trying to use something Martha would understand to explain all of this, instead of just babbling off terms and vocabulary that would make perfect sense in his Time Lord brain but just leave the poor medical student lost and confused.

"No, the novelisation," he sarcastically stated. I hit his arm. He turned towards me. "What was that for?!"

"Don't be rude," I told him, giving him the chastising mother look. "Martha just wants to be able to follow."

"Fine," he grumbled, knowing he couldn't argue with me. Martha sent me a thankful, amused smile that I returned with a nod and a smirk. "Yes, the film," he told Martha. "Marty McFly goes back and changes history."

"And he starts fading away." She stated. And with those few words everything suddenly made sense to Martha. "Oh my God, am I gonna fade? Is Anya?"

"You, Anya, and the entire future of the human race. It ends right now in 1599 if we don't stop it." The Doctor confirmed, grimly. I grimaced, at that. I didn't want to fade. That would suck. Then he swiveled his head, looking around. "But which house?"

Not too far away, a door slowly opened on its own, a loud creak sounding and drawing all of our attentions to it and the two-story house it belong to. "Ah, make that _witch_ house." The Doctor muttered, looking at us with a raised brow.

"That is a _horrible _pun," I told him, keeping back my snort of amusement.

"Then why are you smiling," he stated, giving me a smug and boyish grin. He was clearly pleased with himself.

I nudged him with my elbow. "Stop that."

"Nope." And with that he waltzed towards the open door, not even concerned it was most likely a trap. Rolling my eyes at him, I followed the Time Lord with Martha right beside me. Upon entering the threshold, the door slammed shut behind us.

Glancing it over my shoulder, I mumbled, "Someone wants us here." Instead of searching the bottom floor, the Doctor headed straight for the stairs towards the side.. Although, from what I could see of the bottom floor, it was sparsely furnished, barely lived in, and lacked spell-books, bubbling caldrons, and anything...witchy.

At the top of the staircase, a dirty raggedy cloth-covered the door, obstructing the view of the room inside. The Doctor pushed it aside and stepped through. Once in the room, I glanced around noticing the furnishings and decorations for a stereotypical witch the downstairs lacked. Cobwebs covered the rafters and the black candle sticks that were placed all throughout the room. A big black cauldron bubbled in the middle of the room while ingredients hung on racks. And to complete it all was the witch standing, dressed in black. Surprisingly, she didn't have any warts or hook noses, but appeared normal and familiar looking. Actually upon further inspection, I realized was she the maid that had fetched the constable after Linley had drowned.

"I take it we're expected," the Doctor shoved his hands in his pocket, looking almost intimidating.

"She didn't bother to clean up," I mumbled, glancing at a cobweb.

The witch eyed the Doctor, but I could tell from the sour expression she wore she had heard what I'd said. "Oh, I think Death has been waiting for you a very long time."

"Longer," I stated.

Martha lightly smacked the Doctor on his shoulder before taking a confident step forward. "Right then, it's my turn.I know how to do this." She pointed a finger towards the witch and declared, "I name thee, Carrionite!"

The witch let out a mock gasp, before giving the medical student a nasty, smug smile. Noticing the lack of a proper reaction, Martha turned back towards the Doctor and I, confused. "What did I do wrong? Was it the finger?"

I shrugged, "I thought the finger was okay."

"The power of a name works only once," the witch informed Martha. Then she raised a finger at the medical student hauntingly. "Observe. I gaze upon this bag of bones and now I name thee Martha Jones."

Suddenly, Martha's breath hitched in her throat before she collapsed. "Shit!" I cried out. Before she could fall, the Doctor rushed forward and caught her, slowly lowering her to the ground. I stood beside the crouched Doctor, glancing at Martha in concern. "Martha! Is she alright?"

"What have you done?" The Doctor cried out, turning to glare at the witch. Anger and rage burned in his eyes, churning like a storm.

She lowered her finger, glancing at it. "Only sleeping, alas." Her soft voice suggested she was disappointed that naming Martha had not had a worse effect. I glared at her for that. "Curious, the name has less impact. She's somehow out of her time." Looking up, her eyes narrowed onto me and a malignant smile stretched her lips. "How about you? Hmm.."

I shifted my feet, strengthening my stand to prepare for whatever she threw at me. I knew words were powerful, and what she could say made me nervous. Even though instincts demanded that I run like hell, I wasn't about to let this witch see my true fear. My stubborn pride wouldn't allow her to gain any satisfaction.

She thought for a moment, before her eyes glimmered and her lips stretched. "Ohh," she pointed a finger at me and I glared back at her."A lonely heart that cries far from home and dries the soul of the poor baby. I name thee Anya the lady."

A sudden tightness formed in my chest, squeezing my heart painfully. A cry tried to force its way out, but the stillness of my breath allowed no sound to escape me. Power surged and knocked into me as if it was a physical force; I stumbled back, nearly falling onto my ass.

"Anya!" The Doctor cried out in concern, quickly catching me from falling. I gasped, struggling for breath. Briefly, my mind wandered back to the Royal Hope Hospital when I had laid across the floor and battled for oxygen as it faded away. The situation now was quite similar, including how the Doctor had come to be at my 'rescue'.

The bitch pouted, more upset at this result than the last. "Strange. It seems her name is false and the true one is lost somehow, even to her. No matter though." Hearing that I glared at her, wishing I could hiss something insulting at her and ignoring the discomfort suddenly crawling in me. My name, it wasn't even my real name. That's serious bullshit.

Clutching at my heaving chest, I gasped, spluttered, and coughed, trying to force words through my constricted throat. I wanted to say '_I'm fine', 'I'm alright' _and other variations of the lie that I would be okay. I wanted to brush his concern aside, uncomfortable with the thought that someone _cared _about _me _of all the people in the world and after what had seemed like a century of lonely wanderings. I tried to scream at the Doctor to forget about me and to stop his bitch before she created the world of blood and gore. Also, my pride was taking a hit at the fact I..._needed _someone to help me. It wasn't a good situation for me.

"Stop..." Words finally pushed through. The Doctor glanced down at me, leaning closer to hear what I fought to say."that...bitch...Doc."

A small amused smirk spread across the Doctor's lips and he nodded. He helped me to my feet, staying close as I regain my footing. Keeping one hand clutching my chest, I used other to grip a wooden support beam near by, leaning against it to support my weight. After making sure I was okay, the Doctor turned back towards the witch, seriousness darkening his expression as he glared at her.

"And as for you, Sir Doctor!" The croon suddenly exclaimed, pointing her finger at the Doctor. Nothing happened. She paused, cocking her head to the side. "Fascinating. There is no name. Why would a man hide his title in such despair? Oh, but look." A mocking grin split her lips. "There's still one word with the power that aches."

"The naming won't work on me," he warned her.

"But your heart grows cold," the witch countered, not listening to what he said and giving him a mocking, pitying look. "The north wind blows and carries down the distant..." Pausing, she took a step forward and smiled, "...Rose."

"Bad...move," I coughed as the Doctor marched towards her, his body stiff in anger. I caught a glimpse of his eyes, noticing the darkening swirl of rage as if a storm was rising. _The Oncoming Storm. _"Really...bad...move."

"Oh, big mistake 'cos that name keeps me fighting!" The Doctor declared with a rise in his voice. "The Carrionites vanished! Where did you go?"

The witch spun almost with a huff, walking away from the Doctor. "The Eternals found the right word to banish us into deep darkness."

"And how did you escape?"

"New words. New and glittering from a mind like no other," she grinned.

As I continued to fight for air, the difficulty of the battle faded and I greedily breathed deeply, my lungs swelling with the sweet, sweet air. My ears tuned into the conversation, listening intently and trying to follow even though understanding escaped me at words like _Eternals._

"Willy," I whispered as the Doctor stated, "Shakespeare."

"His son perished." She confirmed, gazing words the caldron still bubbling over a fire. "The grief of a genius. Grief without measure. Madness enough to allow us entrance." Disgust filled me as I glared more fiercely at her. They had used the loss of Shakespeare's son and the grief it brought him to escape from the hell hole they'd purposely got put it. These witches really were some serious bitches.

"How many of you?"

"Just the three. But the play tonight shall restore the rest." As she talked of her plans, the witch turned and moved closer towards the window. "Then the human race will be purged as pestilence. And from this world we will lead the universe back to the old ways of blood and magic."  
**  
**"Hmm... busy schedule... but first you gotta get past me." He followed her, coming up to stand face to face.

She smirked, raising a hand to caress his features and moving her body closer to his. Her voice lowered in an attempt to appear seductive. _Bleh, _I actually gagged out loud. The Doctor didn't react at all to her..._advances._ "Oh, that should be a pleasure considering my enemy has such a handsome shape."

"Now," he said, "that's one form of magic that's definitely not gonna work on me."

"Oh, we'll see." She yanked a lock of hair from his head and backed away.

Confused, he ran his fingers through the back of his hair. "What did you do?"

"Souvenir," she smirked, mockingly waving the snippet of hair she held in front of him.

"Well, give it back!"

Before he could do anything, she threw her arms into the air and the window behind her opened with a great gust of sudden wind. Effortlessly, she flew out backwards, levitating outside.

The Doctor rushed forward to the window sail, gazing up at her. "Well, that's just _cheating_." He muttered. "Only Anya does that."

"Hey!" I croaked out, glaring at his back. My throat, although no longer constricted, still felt rough and hoarse from what ever the bitch had done to me.

"Behold, Doctor. Men to Carrionites are nothing but puppets." She pulled out a doll and wrapped his hair about it.

"Now, you might call that magic... I'd call that a DNA replication module," the Doctor corrected.

Hearing movement behind me, I glanced over my shoulder and the sight that met my eyes brought a smile to my lips. Slowly, but surely, Martha was waking up. About time. Her head lifted from her arms, eyes blinking open.

"What use is your science now?" The witch stated, drawing my attention back to her. With that, she stabbed the doll. The Doctor released out a loud cry, falling to the floor.

"Doctor!" I yelled out in concern, pushing off of the beam. I quickly crossed the room to the Doctor, grabbing hold of him. While I slowly lowered him, I glared up at the witch who continued to cackle in glee. She flew away, the windows slamming shut behind her. Martha quickly came into consciousness and rushed to the Doctor's right side.

"Oh my God! Doctor! Don't worry, we've got you," she stated, nodding at me to help roll him over. The medical student leaned forward, holding her ear over his mouth to hear for breath.

I looked down at the Doctor in concern, praying to any kind of holy power that he was going to be okay considering the witch stopped his heart. Realization struck me and I gasped, glancing down at the Doctor and recognizing the familiarity of this scene. I pushed on Martha's shoulder, who leaned back. She glanced at me in confusion and I held up one finger to stop her from speaking. Then I smacked the Doctor on the chest. "You got two hearts, idiot."

The Doctor's eyes fluttered open and an amused smirk twitched one corner of his lip. "You're making a habit of this." Martha giggled at that.

"More like _you're_ making a _bad _habit out of this." I retorted.

The bastard just winked at me, drawing out more giggles from the amused medical student. He attempted to stand, only to fall and cry out in pain. Martha and I quickly supported him._ "_I've only got one heart working. How do you people cope?" He stated, looking at us with almost disgusted confusion. I rolled my eyes at that, holding back the urge to smack him upside the head.. "I've got to get the other one started. Hit me! Hit me on the chest!" Martha instantly hit him. "Aahh! Other side! Anya you hit me!"

I raised a brow at him. "You sure? You really want _me _to hit you?"

"I'm probably going to regret this," he muttered to himself almost before stating loudly "But yes! Hit me!" I shrugged.

Oh well, it's what he wanted.

I hit his chest.

"On the back! On the back!" He leaned forward and I slammed my hand onto his back. Martha watched on in amusement. "Left a bit!" Rolling my eyes at his pickiness, I adjusted my aim and once again smacked my fist down onto his back.

"Ahh, lovely." He cried out suddenly, leaning up and stretching his back and neck with a crack. "There we go!" The Doctor bounced onto his feet. Looking down at Martha and I who were slowly standing, he stated, "Ba-da-boom-ba!Well, what are you standing there for? Come one! The Globe!'

Without another thought, he raced out the door, Martha following in tow. In exasperation at that whole display, I threw my hands into the air. _God. _That man was a piece of work. A brilliant, amazing, mad, funny man, but still a piece of work!

Shaking my head at just..._him_, I hurried after them, not wanting to get left behind. Running down the steps and tripping almost once, I burst out the front door. A smile stretched my lips as I caught up to them. We ran through the streets of London, trying to get back to the theater as quickly as possible. Coming to a fork in the road, the Doctor immediately turned right, heading away from the theater.

"We're going the wrong way!" Martha called out, still following him. I on the other hand stopped, watching in amusement as the Doctor continued to run.

"No we're not!" The Doctor protested.

"Yes you are you idiot!" I screamed at him.

He just waved me off and kept running.

I rolled my eyes and slowly began walking towards the left.

Wait for it...

"We're going the wrong way!"

There it is.

I started running the _proper _way to the theater; once the Doctor caught up, I winked at him. "Told ya so," I gloated with a smirk.

"Oh, shut up."

I laughed.

* * *

Twisting and turning through the streets of London, we steadily drew closer to the Globe. Soon it came in view, although it was not a good view to behold. The sight drew the Doctor, Martha, and I to a stop and gape in horror. Screams erupted from the theater while clouds, glowing with a red hue of power swirled through the air like an all-consuming vortex. Winds emanated from the Globe, blowing through out the streets. Thunder cracked and red lightning blazed In a panic, people ran from the theater, trying to escape the horrors releasing inside.

The preacher from the beginning of our trip walked up to us with a wide smile on his face as he waved his hands around excitedly. "I told thee so! I told thee so!"

"Shut up!" I snapped at him. "No one wants to hear it now."

"Stage door!" The Doctor announced and I nodded in agreement. We rushed forward towards the chaos in the Globe. the Doctor yanked open the door and we bursted into back stage, only to skid to a sudden stop at the sight of Will draped precariously on chair, rubbing his head. Groggily as if he'd just woken up, the writer peered around confused.

The Doctor seemed even more agitated. "Stop the play! I think that was it. Yeah, I said, "Stop the play"!"

I shook my head at the writer. "You had _one _job Willy. Just _one _job."

"I hit my head," Will groaned.

"Yeah, don't rub it, you'll go bald." The Doctor remarked, head turning at the sound of screams. "I think that's my cue!" He ran out.

"Come one Willy," I stated, taking one of his hands while Martha took the other. We heaved him onto his feet before following the Doctor out of the room. We scurried onto the stage, moving towards the center.

Looking out, I could see the poor audience desperately trying to get out the doors, stampeding over each other and pushing against one another in an attempt to escape the horror, but the doors wouldn't budge. Wind wiped all around us and I squinted through the fray, a glowing orb catching my attention from one of the upper levels of the theater. In a box, three witches cackled in glee and lifted their crystal ball towards the sky. Energy poured out from it, feeding the havoc churning through the air. Black figures started darting out from the orb as well, flying fourth and spin around the cyclone of red power. Shit, the Carrionites were already being released.

Shakespeare slowly began to back away from the scene, trying to escape. Not that I could blame him. Fear was currently ripping at my heart and freezing my blood. Though with nowhere to run, I was forced to remain. The Doctor grabbed onto Will, pulling the author to the center of the stage beside me._ "_Come on, Will! History needs you!"

"But what can I do?" He asked and squinted at the chaos and then the Doctor, looking so lost.

"Reverse it!"

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"The shape of the Globe gives words power, but you're the wordsmith," The Doctor quickly explained to him. "The one true genius. The only man clever enough to do it!"

"But what words?" Shakespeare opened his arms, struggling with the confidence to do as the Doctor asked. "I have none ready!"

"You're William _fucking _Shakespeare!" I threw in, glancing at the Doctor. From listening to the Doctor, I understood the only way to stop this world of blood and magic would be for Shakespeare to get out there and do it. Not wanting to die, I decided to help the Doctor convince Will he was the man for the job- the _only _man.

"But these Carrionite phrases," he protested, "the need such precision!"

"Yeah and who did they chose to write their phrases down?" I persisted. "You. Do you know why? Because you are _brilliant. _Because you always use such _brilliant_ _words_. Because you're the most quoted man in all of history!"

The Doctor gave me a thankful look before nodding in agreement. "Anya's right. Trust yourself. When you're locked away in your room, the words just come, don't they? Like magic. Words of the right sound, the right shape, the right rhythm — words that last forever! That's what you do, Will!" He grabbed the author's arm, shaking it slightly. "You choose perfect words. Do it. Improvise!"

The writer looked at me and I gave him an encouraging smile, trying to keep back the fear and panic rising with each released Carrionite. "Just wing it Willy! You're the wordsmith! You'll be amazing! And what the hell! Do it right and I'll kiss ya!" The Doctor glanced at me in confusion, brows creasing and mouth slipping open. I just shrugged at him, giving him that _what the hell _look.

"I'll hold you to that," Will stated with a small grin. Okay, what ever works for us not to die. Then he nodded and took a step forward. The Doctor and I stepped back, allowing the writer to have center stage. He stared forward at the wraith like Carrionites flying about and yelled out. "Close up this den of hateful, dire decay! Decomposition of your witches' plot! You thieve my brains, consider me your toy. My doting Doctor and Lady tell me I am not!"

His words sounded out loud and true throughout the fourteen walls and I couldn't help the grin spreading across my lips as I saw the younger witch, holding the crystal globe, scream out, "No! Words of power!"

Shakespeare continued his _brilliant _words, "Foul Carrionite spectres, cease your show! Between the points..." He trailed off, looking at the Doctor expectantly for help.

"7-6-1-3-9-0!" The Doctor called out.

"7-6-1-3-9-0! And banished like a tinker's cuss, I say to thee..." he shook his head, unsure of what to say next. Searching for assistance, the writer glanced at the Doctor, who was at a loss. He struggled for a word, looking to me. I just shrugged, not knowing a word to use.

On a whim, Martha shouted out. "Expelliarmus!"

The Doctor and I glanced at one another, nodding quickly in agreement before shouting out together, "Expelliarmus!"

"Expelliarmus!" Shakespeare concluded his speech, the actor to his side even joining in as they shouted the spell.

"Good old JK!" The Doctor grinned.

"Shout out to JK Rowling for inadvertently saving the world in 1599," I agreed with the Doctor, laughing. My smile grew wider as the Doctor chuckled and nodded.

"The deep darkness!" The young witch cried out amongst the screams of the Carrionites. "They are consumed! Ahhh!" The twisting clouds formed a tornado, sucking up all of the Carrionites in its churning vortex. A loud bang sounded, and I turned to see the doors to backstage burst open. All copies of the script flew forward and disappeared into the swirling wind. So, that's how the play is lost. Much better than missing a due date.

Having a similar line of thought, the Doctor stated, "'_Love's Labours Won'. _There it goes."

In a flash, the storm dissipated, disappearing into the darkness of night with the Carrionites and the lost play. There was a collective sigh of relief throughout the once fearful audience below, as they looked about to make sure the chaos had passed. Then, when the audience turned their wide gazes to the stage, a slow clap started up.

First it was one, then it was three, then ten, and soon a roar of applause erupted. Stunned, we all looked at each other but none the less smiled. The Doctor, ducked out and disappeared into backstage. The actors had no real clue of what to do so they did what they did best- improvise. They went along with it, taking bows as if that had been planned all along. No one was the wiser of the falsehood of the situation and how we'd just saved the Earth with a little help from the two greatest writers in history.

Martha scoffed in amusement, "They think it was all special effects." I nodded, although thinking it was probably better that way. Blissful ignorance suited the public of this time.

Will smirked, turning to glance at Martha, "Your effect is special indeed."

I laughed to myself, knowing that nothing could stop him. Martha shook her head, "It's not your best line."

"Ehh," William replied, before turning his sights on me. "My Lady, you did promise me a kiss."

"That I did," I admitted. The author grinned happily, leaning forward with puckered lips. Before he could kiss me, I moved my lips at the last second, giving his cheek a peck. Pulling back, he looked at me in confusion. "I promised you a kiss, I never specified _where _though."

"Clever," he stated. All three of us chuckled at each other before we were pulled over to bow with the rest of the actors. Smiling widely and bowing, I lived in the moment, enjoying the applause and whistles and cheers as I stood center stage at the Globe Theater with William Shakespeare at my side.

* * *

For the rest of the night we stayed at the Globe with Shakespeare. Mostly, we helped cleaned up the mess left behind by the Carrionites and the crowd, but we also got the chance to explore more of the Theater. I had taken up the Doctor's offer to explore with him while Martha decided to stay with Will, who was sure to use their time together to flirt some more.

As the sun settled into the sky and the bird sung a merry tune for the rising morning, the Doctor and I stumbled upon the prop room towards the back of the backstage after we had wandered throughout the rest of the Globe and searched for any remaining copies of _Love's Labours Won. _I had expressed my disappointment that the play had not survived, considering I never got to see it, but the Doctor had stated it was probably best. There were still power in those words and I couldn't help but to agree.

The prop room was a medium-sized room stuffed with all sorts of things- a variety of costumes, hats fake swords, mirrors, flowers, and all sorts of random objects that one might find being used in a play. Upon looking through the mess, the Doctor and I discovered many objects of interest, often ridiculous accessories we would put on and then show the other.

A large grin stretched my lips as I pulled a kingly crown from a chest I'd began sorting through. I ran quickly to a vanity that had been placed in the room, using the attached mirror to look at my reflection. I placed the crown on my head a little crookedly, before turning to the exploring Doctor with a beaming smirk.

"I'm Queen of the World!" I stated, throwing my arms out.

The Doctor rolled his eyes, but I saw his lips turning up in an amused smile. He held up what appeared to be a _very _old fashion magnifying glass. "Of course you're not. It's elementary my dear Watson."

"No shit Sherlock," I retorted with smirk. Turning around, I took of the crown (although I really thought it suited me) and picked up a pair of glasses that reminded me of a well-known Transfiguration professor. Clearing my throat, I turned back to the Doctor and quoted in a poor British accent. "Ah, of course. There is no need to tell me any more, Ms. Granger. Which one of you will be dying this year?"

"Mcgonagall, very nice." I mocked curtsied at the compliment. Grinning at me, the Doctor grabbed a near by walking stick. He slammed it on the ground, declaring in a deep, booming voice, "You shall not pass!"

Rolling my eyes, I looked at him over the glasses with a raised brow. "Gandalf? Seriously?"

"What?" The Doctor asked, almost insulted. "I'll have you know I was the inspiration for that character!"

"No you're not."

"Yes I am. One time Tolkien became an accidental companion and while running for our lives from a heard of wild Fotias, a race of alien beasts distinctive by their black horns and fire manes, he saw me pick up a stick and yell out 'you shall not pass' to stop them. And thus Gandalf was created."

I rolled my eyes, the image his story bringing up amusing me greatly to the point I had to bit my lip from laughing. In all honesty, I could actually believe that story; it just seemed so..._him_. "Do you do that often? Accidentally create famous stories?"

"Not really..._welll_," The Doctor corrected himself. "There was that one other time with George Lucas..."

"Star Wars? Seriously?"

"...yeah. And then there was the incident with Steven Spielberg on that trip to the Jurassic era."

Chuckling, I just shook my head at him. "Only you Doctor, only you." He grinned widely at me and I rolled my eyes in response. Taking off the glasses, I turned around and placed them back on the vanity. Pivoting around, I prepared myself for whatever the Doctor had stored now.

No amount of preparing could have made me ready for the sight of the Doctor.

He stood, dramatically posed, with a giant skull of some sort of creature that was definitely not human in one hand while a ruffled collar encircled his neck. Loudly clearing his throat, the Doctor quoted, "Alas, poor Yorick!I knew him, Horatio, a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy. He hath bore me on his back a thousand times, and now how abhorr'd in my imagination it is! My gorge rises at it."

"Very clever," I stated dryly, but smiling none the less.

Smirking, he stated, "I know. I'm brilliant."

"Just keep telling yourself that."

Hearing my response, he pouted and I smirked widely. "We probably should go find Martha," he stated. I nodded in agreement, figuring we'd wasted enough time fooling around in the prop room. I moved towards the door that led to the back stage. Pushing it open, I glanced at the Doctor behind me, noticing he still had the skull and collar.

"Are you going to put those up?"

"No. I think it suits me," he said, adjusting the collar.

Patting his arm, I told him, "Save the collar for Willy." Before he could respond, I strolled out of the prop room and started on my way to find Martha. The Doctor caught up quickly, still carrying the skull with him. Approaching the stage, we saw Shakespeare and Martha sitting very close to each other on a bench, a lips distance away.

Completely oblivious to the 'moment', the Doctor shattered it before I could stop him. "Good props store back there! I'm not sure about this though," he looked at the skull with a bit of remembrance clouding his eyes. "Reminds me of a Sycorax."

Instantly, they broke apart, both looking slightly flustered. Will turned to the man, commenting, "Sycorax. Nice word. I'll have that off you as well."

"I should be on 10%," he commented.

"More like 50," I corrected, mentally listing all of the ideas and quotes Shakespeare got from the Doctor and I.

The Doctor nodded in agreement, before addressing the writer again. "How's your head?"

"Still aching."

The Doctor finally set the skull down on the stage. Then he took off his ruffled collar and clipped it around Will's throat. "Neck brace. Wear that for a few days till it's better, although you might wanna keep it. It suits you." I rolled my eyes, adding the collar to the list.

Martha touched the collar, helping to adjust it while Will tried it out. Now he looked like proper Shakespeare. "What about the play," she asked.

"Gone. Anya and I looked all over — every single copy of_ 'Love's Labours Won'_ went up in the sky," the Doctor briefly gaze up to the sky that was now clear and blue, a sharp contrast to how it had been the night before.

Will sighed, "My lost masterpiece."

"You could write it up again," Martha said, trying to cheer him up.

I patted his shoulder, "Neh, you probably shouldn't."

"Yeah, better not, Will. There's still power in those words," the Doctor explained. "Maybe it should best stay forgotten."

Will looked up at the Doctor and I, "Oh, but I've got new ideas. Perhaps it's time I wrote about fathers and sons. In memory of my boy — my precious Hamnet."

_Ahh Hamlet, _I realized with a grin. I helped inspired Shakespeare to write _Hamlet, _one of my favorites. Cool. Another thing to add to the list. "

"Hamnet?" Martha asked confused.

"That's him."

"Ham-_NET_," Martha emphasized, looking at the author in confused shock.

Will glanced at her, "What's wrong with that?"

Before Martha could say anything, the Doctor interrupted, "Anyway, time we were off. I've got a nice attic in the TARDIS where this lot," he grabbed the crystal ball, where the three witches were trapped inside, screeching and banging on the glass, "can scream for all eternity and I've gotta take Martha and Anya back to Freedonia."

"You mean travel on through time and space," Will corrected.

"You what?" The Doctor questioned, clearly surprised like Martha and I. After the initial shock quickly faded, I grinned. Honestly we should have expected the genius to have figured it out by now.

"You're from another world like the Carrionites and Martha and Anya are from the future. It's not hard to work out."

"That's...incredible. You are incredible," the Doctor gushed out, making Will and me smirk.

"We're alike in many ways, Doctor. Milady, it has been a pleasure." He smiled at me, and I gave him a mock bow in response. Then he turned towards the medical student beside him. "Martha, let me say goodbye to you in a new verse," he grabbed her hand delicately. Watching onto the scene, the Doctor waggled his eyebrows at Martha as I covered my mouth with one hand to stifle a laugh at Willy. He just would not quit. "A sonnet for my Dark Lady. Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"

At the sound of the very famous sonnet, Martha's eyes widened considerably while the Doctor opened his mouth in an _ahhh_ moment as he rubbed one eyes. I grinned in smug satisfaction, stating to the Time Lord quietly, "I _so _called it."

"Thou art more lovely and more temperate—" Shakespeare never got to finish one of his most famous sonnets, as he was interrupted by a pair of the actors bursting into the theater

"Will! Will!" One actor shouted, successfully gaining the writer's attention. "You'll never believe it! She's _here_! She's turned up!"

The other actor beside him beamed excitedly, "We're the talk of the town! She heard about last night! She wants us to perform it again."

Martha asked, "Who?"

"Her Majesty! She's here!"

Trumpets suddenly blasted their fanfare as the monarch herself marched in, flanked by her royal guards. The actors bowed to her as she entered/ Seeing another great historical figure I grinned. First Shakespeare and then Elizabeth the 1st. This was great. Next to me the Doctor was just as excited as I. "Queen Elizabeth the 1st!" He exclaimed.

Her eyes settled upon the Doctor and I. Agitation suddenly creased her face. "Doctor! Anya!" She hissed.

The Doctor and I blinked, glancing at each other. Both of us were startled by the hateful tone of her voice and she knew us, especially _me._ I wouldn't have been quite as surprised if she had only recognized the Doctor, since it seemed he had a habit of running into the Queens of England like Victoria. Also it wouldn't have surprised me if he'd managed to piss her off, like he'd done with Vicky. But Lizzy knew _me_ as well. Martha slowly rose to her feet. "What?" The Doctor asked.

"My sworn enemies!"

"I have a bad feeling about this," I stated as the Doctor asked again baffled, "What?"

"Off with their heads!"

"Shit!" I cried, eyes widening.

"What?" The Doctor asked.

"Never mind _what_, just run!" Martha shouted, hurrying towards the back stage with the Doctor and I. "See you, Will! And thanks!"

"Stop that pernicious Doctor and girl!" The Queen order.

We raced through the back stage and out the back entrance of the theater, the sound of heavy footsteps following us along with the sound of Will's laughter. I rolled my eyes. Oh, it's all fun and games when you're not the one being chased by knights that want to decapitate you. "Shut it Will!" I called out just before we bursted onto the streets.

"Stop in the name of the Queen!" A knight called out, sounding closer than he needed to be.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit," I chanted underneath my breath to the tempo of our sprinting pace. Thankfully the TARDIS wasn't parked far away.

"What have you two done to upset her?!" Martha asked us as we ran. Relief fluttered through me as the TARDIS came within sight. _Safety._

He dashed up to the TARDIS, shoving in the key as fast as he could and unlocking the doors, "How should I know? Haven't even met her yet. That's time travel for you! Still, can't wait to find out."

He held the door open for Martha to race inside. As I approached him, the Doctor grinned down at me and sent me a wink. "That's something to look forward to." As I rolled my eyes at him, I took a glance over my shoulder.

At the sight of the Queen's archers readying to fire, I yelled out at him, "Shit!" Quickly, I shoved him into the TARDIS. With great haste, I spun around and slammed the door shut just as the archers fired with the arrows hearing straight for our heads. Locking the door, a thump and spring sounded throughout the room.

Breathing heavily because of the pace we ran and the adrenaline of dodging an arrow, I glanced up at the Doctor, who still had a grin on his face. I smacked his arm.

"Ow!" He cried, wincing at my blow. "What was that for?"

"For pissing off the Queen and me."

"You're impossible," the Doctor stated.

I just grinned at him and asked, "Where to next?"


	10. Gridlock: Inbetween

**I'msorrymylove: Thank you! Honestly it was something that I had come up with at the last minute, but thought it to be perfect and just had to include. I'm glad you got and enjoyed the reference. ;)**

**Fellowship of Avengers: Yeah, yeah. XD A sonic screwdriver would be very helpful in life. True. Yeah they are. Nope there is not. It is, especailly for Anya, but eventually she will learn everything about her mysterious past, even if she isn't happy about what she learns. Nope, Anya does not _cheat._ ;)If Anya doesn't keep him in line, who will? Anya did. Martha didn't smack him for saying something- that's Anya's job. Nope it is not her real name, which will eventually be revealed...later though. ;) _Really _bad move. The Doctor is horrible at directions. How could you forget the preacher? She will tell him, even if he doesn't want to here it. HP references for the win! She did not. Oh I'm jealous too, that would have been so cool. Yep! Yes, Gandalf. Completely serious. Yes way. That was a quote from the play Hamlet, which was a play David Tennant actually stared in. ;) They do look weird. It is..That was not a play, it actually was Sonnet 18 which is one of Shakespeare's most famous sonnets. That story will be explained...later though, too. Read and found out where. ;)**

**The Yoshinator: I'm glad you enjoyed that little bit, ;) Sorry it took longer to update than usual. Writing Gridlock was such a pain until I got some new ideas with the help of a great friend. Thanks to her, I now have an interesting twist for Gridlock that is introduced in this chapter. It is going to be so much fun, especially in the next two chapters! ;) Can you spot it?**

**Thanks to everyone that has reviewed, favorited, or alerted**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

**Gridlock:  
****Inbetween**

_And somehow I got caught up in between_. _Between my pride and my promise. __Between my lies and how the truth gets in the way. _  
- Linkin Park

* * *

"Ah well, I suppose back to London," the Doctor answered me with a shrug, the grin still on his lips. Someone was in a good mood. He casted his look over his shoulder to Martha who was walking around the TARDIS consul, eyes scanning the impossible room intently as if she was trying to commit everything to memory. I supposed she was, considering how the Doctor had promised her _only one _trip through time and space. As Martha took a seat on the jump seat, continuing to stare demurely and dejectedly at nothing, the Doctor approached the consul. I followed him, making sure to keep my hands close to the railings when I noticed his hands start to fiddle with the controls. I'm not getting thrown to the floor again. Nope.

Rubbing the back of his head, the Doctor slowly began speaking once again. "Just one trip. 'S'what I said. One trip, in the TARDIS, and then home. Although – I suppose we could...stretch the definition."

My lips slowly stretched into a smirk as a sense of victory flooded my senses. _I was right, I was right,_ my mind happily sang as I was proven right- the Doctor was going to keep Martha around, which was something I wholeheartedly approved. Sure, the Doctor wasn't flat-out saying the medical student would be staying permanently, but if he keep _stretching the definition _of her trips, she was going to wind up sticking around for a while. Which was something I would not protest at all; I liked Martha. She was good.

Also realizing what the Doctor was implying, Martha grinned, pleased.

"Try one trip to the past, one trip to the future. How do you fancy that?" The Doctor asked her.

Thrilled, Martha grinned widely. "No complaints from me!"

"Nor me." I added, shooting a smile to the student and then a knowing smirk to the Doctor.

He rolled his eyes at that, also realizing what I was implying. Ignoring my obvious pride, he questioned Martha and cranked a control. "How about a different planet?"

"Can we go to yours?" Martha asked, leaning forward towards the Doctor.

The question shattered any joyful mood within the TARDIS, like a stone striking a plane of glass. "Oh shit," I breathed softly, watching the Doctor's excitement ebb away immediately and his smile drop.

Moving towards the other side of the consul, almost as if to put a physical barrier between him and the question, the Doctor brushed the suggestion to the side. "Ahh, there's plenty of other places!"

"Come on, though!" Martha persisted, much to the displeasure of the Doctor and me, and followed the Doctor to the other side of the consul. A frown tugged at my lips while I stood by and watch the Doctor distant himself more and more with each scar being painfully struck with Martha's statements. This was not good at all, for us and especially for the Doctor. "I mean Planet of the Time Lords, that's got to be worth a look! What's it like?"

"Well, it's beautiful, yeah." He stated simply, obviously not _really _wanting to talk about his home world. The same world he let burn in flames, killing all of his people and leaving him the Last Time Lord in the whole of creation and a mountain of dark guilt to always press down on him. Yeah, it was very understandable _why _he didn't like talking about it.

"Is it like, you know, outer space cities, all spires and stuff?"

"Suppose it is."

"Great big temples and cathedrals!"

I tried, like _really hard, _not to groan out loud at the _horrible _situation presented before me. The Doctor was so clearly avoiding the topic, but completely oblivious and lost in cheerful imagination, Martha couldn't see the mourning, pain, and remembrance quickly taking hold of the Doctor's whole demeanor.

"Yeah."

"Lots of planets in the sky?"

"The sky's a burnt orange," he suddenly admitted with something akin to bittersweet nostalgia filling his features and surprising me with an actual response. I figured he would continue to avoid the subject all together, but I supposed it was good that he was actually talking about it. "With the Citadel enclosed in a mighty glass dome, shining under the twin suns. Beyond that, the mountains go on forever – slopes of deep red grass, capped with snow."

Martha was completely enthralled by the description, staring at the Doctor in wonder as he painted a picture of his home world with words that honestly did not do the old, amazing planet justice. "Can we go there?"

"Naah!" He suddenly exclaimed, causing me to nearly groan. Back to the avoiding I see, just when he'd started to talk about it. "Where's the fun for me? I don't want to go home! Instead …" He began to dance around the main console, tweaking settings as he went. The TARDIS sharply shook; Martha and I quickly took hold of the consul to desist from being sent to the floor..._again. _"This is much better. Year five billion and fifty-three, planet New Earth! Second hope of mankind! Fifty thousand light years from your old world, and we're slap bang in the middle of New New York."

The Doctor quickly moved from the consul, grabbing his overcoat and throwing it on. Not once did he pause in his excited rambling that was quite infectious since Martha and I could not keep the thrilled smiles from our faces as we followed him to the door. "Although, technically it's the fifteenth New York from the original," the Doctor informed us, pushing the doors open with an audible creak. "So it's New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York. One of the most dazzling cities ever built."

"Try to say that five times fast," I challenged the Doctor, who unfortunately did not take it up. That would have been amusing if he did and failed. Grinning, I prepared myself for the sight of a dazzling city-state.

Instead I saw rain.

"Oh, that's nice!" Martha scowled as we stepped out into the pouring shower. As she zipped up her jacket, I retrieved a hair tie from my bag, quickly pulling my hair back in a ponytail and then holding my bag over my head in an attempt to try to fend off the falling water. Through the heavy downpour, I squinted my eyes and tried to see past the curtain of water falling onto my face in order to catch a glance at our new surroundings. All I could see was what appeared to be an alleyway with old, wet brick walls and trash littering the cracked concrete ground. That was very different from the glimmering New New York I remembered from the Doctor's memories. "Time Lord version of dazzling."

"Nice going," I stated, looking over my shoulder to the Doctor.

He rolled his eyes as he pulled out the arrow stuck in the door, thanks to Queen Elizabeth's archers. I really wanted to know what we...or rather what the _Doctor _did to piss her off. After locking the door, the Doctor stated, "Nah, bit of rain never hurt anyone."

"Tell that to the Wicked Witch of the West."

"That's just a movie. Come on, let's get under cover!"He stated before he sprinted down the alley, Martha and I hurrying behind him. We came out onto a junk-ridden street decorated with what seemed to be giant dumpsters and old laundry hanging down from a string. Apparently, the Doctor had landed us in the slummy portion of the city. It honestly wasn't that bad if you tried to forget about the pleating of the rain and repulsive smell of the trash.

"Well, it looks like the same old Earth to me." Martha commented. "On a Wednesday afternoon."

"Hold on, hold on." He led us over to a dead monitor in the wall, fishing through his pockets for his sonic screwdriver no doubt. I lowered my bag from above my head, glancing up thankfully at the covering above, shielding us from the rain. "Let's have a look." The familiar buzz of the screwdriver sounded and the screen suddenly came to life with a screech of static. Frowning, the Doctor banged of the top of the screen.

I hit his arm, "Rude. Technology doesn't like to be hit. You'll make it worse."

Despite what I said the Doctor smacked the screen one more time and the static waned to reveal the image of a pretty blonde woman. He glanced at me smugly. I hit him again. "-and the driving should be clear and easy," the woman reported, "with fifteen extra lanes open for the New New Jersey expressway."

Going by her nice clothing, the insignia of the Statue of Liberty, and the report she gave, I figured the woman must have been some type of news anchor. The image on the screen changed to reveal what I recognized from the Doctor's memories as the city of New New York above ground. It looked the same as it did the last time the Doctor visited- a gorgeous spired city rising from the coast of a large river, with sleek flying vehicles zooming in and out of the city as if it was a buzzing hive. Of course, he hadn't gotten a chance to really explore the city that much because of the fiasco in the hospital with the sick human clones, the secretive nurses that were cats and also nuns, and last but not least the Bitchy Trampoline known as Cassandra.

"Oh, that's more like it!" The Doctor said, tapping the image with his fingers. He stuck his head back into the rain and glanced around. "That's the New we had last time. This must be the lower levels. Down in the base of the tower, some sort of under-city."

"We could tell," I told him, looking at one of many pieces of trash on the street.

"You've brought us to the slums?' Martha asked. Her voice seemed laced with irritation, but contrary to that she still had a smile tugging at her lips.

"Much more interesting!" The Doctor argued, pointing back at the screen. "It's all cocktails and glitter up there. This is the real city."

"Cocktails sounds nice though," I said. But he did have a point about this being_ real _city. Even though glittering New New York had its superficial appeal, down here in the slums I bet we could fine something worth wild, especially with the magnet for trouble known as the Doctor.

Martha smiled endearingly at the Time Lord. "You'd enjoy anything."

"That's me," he grinned in response, glancing out at the street as the rain dwindled down suddenly. Did this place have bi-polar weather? "Oh, the rain's stopping! Better and better!

We moved out from beneath the overhang, feeling relieved that the rain had stopped. Martha looked at the Doctor, asking, "When you say "last time," was that you and Rose?"

Oh, _shit._

It happened again. Martha's questions once again breached that delicate area of topics filed under _things that don't really ever need to be mentioned- EVER right now _which included and was not limited to subjects such as the Time War, Gallifrey and, of course Rose. I had a feeling that the medical student must really suck at the game Minefield.

"Um – yeah," the Doctor answered, trying to be nonchalant but winding up to be very awkward. "Yeah, it was, yeah."

Oh, _double shit._

I slapped at hand to my forehead, trying to hold back the strong urge to slap _both _of them. Really, this was already not a good situation and the Doctor with that _stupid _response did not make it any better.

"You're taking me to the same planets that you took her?" Martha persisted with her questions.

I glared at the Doctor over Martha's shoulder, waving my hands about in a silent way of telling him _don't you _**_dare _**_answer her, you idiot. If you have any sense of self-preservation, don't fucking answer her. You're digging yourself an early grave Doc. Don't do anything. _Right then, I knew I should have stayed out of it, or rather I chose to. If I would have spoken up and tried to help, I probably would have screwed something up and made everything even worse, or would cause the Doctor and Martha to both be angry with me. I honestly was too afraid and did not want to deal with that shit, so I opted for silently trying to get these two idiots not to make fools of themselves.

Of course, the Doctor didn't notice me or my silent advice.

The _stupid, stupid _man foolishly answered,"What's wrong with that?

Oh, _fucking shit._

That did it for Martha.

"Nothing. Just – ever heard the word _rebound_?" Martha snapped with a tense jaw and a..._jealous _voice? Clearly vexed, she pushed past the Doctor, while he just looked at her, almost confused to her reaction.

Audibly, I groaned placing my hand back on my forehead. My fingers slowly rubbed my temples as a throbbing pain, caused by my companions pure _stupidity, _formed. Great, now _I _had a headache and it was their fault.

_B__oth _their faults.

The Doctor- for trying to relive the past and go back to a time when Rose was still traveling with him. He kept trying to recreate Rose, only with Martha and I instead of finding a healthy way to move forward in his life and finally accept the fact that Rose was gone. If he kept on the way he was going, nothing would ever get better for him, or for Martha and I for that matter. We, _especially _Martha, didn't deserve to be left in the shadow of a ghost.

Martha- for not stopping her inquires _regardless _of the clear signs of warning every time she brought up a sensitive subject for the Doctor that _obviously _poked at his too-fresh wounds, was not at all helping the Doctor to move on by making him even more distant with her questions.

Then there was that tone she'd used when she snapped at him. If I didn't know any better, I could have thought it was _jealousy._ Slowly, I was starting to think that Martha had been lying when she said she wasn't interested in the Doctor. I couldn't blame her for falling in love with the Doctor- practically everyone does (but me). Still, she should realize that what ever she wanted with him has a slim chance of happening, considering a lot of factors like he's a practically immortal _alien _and that he'd just lost a woman he dearly cared...still cares about and might even truly love. The sooner Martha realized that, the better it would be for everyone, especially her. I didn't want to see her heartbroken. She was a good person that didn't deserve that.

Overall, none of them were doing anything to help make the situation better, and I also wasn't helping that much either. I was starting to fear for the future if they both continued on like this. God, I _seriously _didn't know I was signing up for some kind of Outer Space Soap Opera when I'd agreed to go with the Doctor.

Suddenly, I was drawn out of my thoughts and issues when the top of one of the large green boxes flipped open to reveal a man inside.

"Oh! You should have said. How long you been there?" The man stated with a large smile. "Happy! You want Happy!"

"Street vendors?" I questioned out loud, earning a nod from the Doctor. Another point for Anya. The three of us stood around as all the green boxes opened up to reveal more and more vendors after the people inside learned there was a chance to make a profit, each one shouting out their wares.

"Customers! Customers! We've got customers!" One dark woman called behind us.

"We have in business!" Another woman cheered, before turning to speak to someone in her store, "Mother, open up the Mellow, and the Read!"

"Happy, Happy, lovely happy Happy!" The first man called. We continued to stare at the sellers that continued to call out their best sales pitches which were the weirdest things I'd ever heard. How could they possibly sell happiness or anger?

"Anger! Buy some Anger!"

"Get some Mellow, makes you feel all bendy and soft all day long!"

"Don't go to them. They'll rip you off. Do you want some happy?" The first man in front of us said, leaning on the counter to look down at us. He waved his hands about, holding what appeared to be some kind of round sticker.

Frowning, the Doctor replied, "No, thanks."

"Are they selling drugs?" Martha questioned as the Doctor turned to us, her arms folded over her chest. I continued to glance around, watching the stalls and vendors with a frown.

"I think they are selling moods."

"Same thing, isn't it?" Martha said.

"Yeah, but still," I questioned, "how you could sell a _mood?"_

My question was never given an answer for everyone's attention was drawn to a newcomer in the street. The woman appeared pale, young, and bedragged. Dark grey clothes covered her thin body as she walked towards the stands with a clear intent, much to the pleasure of the venders.

"Over here, sweetheart!" The second woman called out to her, slowly drawing her in.

The man started to yell at the girl. "Oy! Oy, you! Over here! Over here! Buy some Happy!"

The girl walked over to the second room, standing in front of the stall. All the while the woman encouraged her, leaning over the counter to look down at her costumer. "Come over here, yeah. And what can I get you, my love?"

"I want to buy Forget," the pale woman answered softly. Sympathy struck me as I looked at the sad girl and wondered what could have happened to her to force her to buy some drug to forget it.

"I've got Forget, my darling. What strength? How much you want forgetting?"

My frown only deepened when we heard her answer. "It's my mother and father. They went on the motorway." I couldn't believe what this girl was doing. Somethings I understood would be nice to forget, but your _mother _and _father? _Why would you ever want to forget such important people in your life, especially if they just went to the motorway. Then again I guess I could be biased about the situation, considering I had no recollection of a family or really anything at all. It would have been a relief, or perhaps a gift if I could suddenly remember them, even if they were no longer alive.

"Oh, that's so sweet." The female vendor reached behind her into the stall, shortly after pulling out a small circular token. She reached down, handing it out to the pale woman. "Try this," she suggested. "Forget Forty-three. That's twopence."

The Doctor, Martha and I slowly made our way towards the girl as she paid the pharmacist. With what she wanted in her hands, she turned away from the stall. Although before she could do anything with the odd sticker, the Doctor stopped her, asking for clarification on her situation. "Sorry, but – hold on a minute. What happened to your parents?"

She answered simply, "They drove off."

"They might drive back," the Doctor argued.

"Everyone goes to the motorway in the end." Her face fell, giving her an expression of complete hopeless and pained loss. "I've lost them."

"But they can't have gone far. You could find them."

The pale woman just looked at him, and then she, as if realizing he could not understand what she was going through, looked down with a sigh. Quickly, she reached up and stuck the circular token on her neck.

"No, no – no, don't!" He tried to reach out to her, but he was too late to stop her. Once the token had been applied, the girl's expression changed almost instantly. Every ounce of pain and loss slipped away, quickly being replaced with serene pliantness.

With dazed eyes she looked at the Doctor, clearly a bit out of it; not that she minded since she was blithely unaware of her surroundings. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?" She asked, tilting her head.

"Your parents." The Doctor tried to remind her, "Your mother and father. They're on the motorway."

"Are they? That's nice." She smiled as if she was in a dream. _God, _I thought staring at the girl in horror at what the drug had done to her. It was almost impossible for me to fathom a reason to ever forget something willingly like that. I knew better than anyone what is was like to have a piece of your past missing, always wondering, always searching for answers you once knew, and never knowing. It fucking sucked. Martha looked to the Doctor in disbelief. The Time Lord himself seemed disturbed, but not surprised by the situation at all. "I'm sorry. I won't keep you."

With frowns on our faces we watched the woman walk away into the rising fog, leaving behind the memory of her parents. The Doctor looked after her disappearing figure pensive, while Martha seemed upset and a little scornful, not that I could blame her.

"So that's the human race five billion years in the future," Martha muttered next to me. "Off their heads on chemicals."

I tried to say I agreed with her, but any words were squeezed out into an alarmed yelp as a force suddenly crushed my neck. Panic lit my body on fire and fear froze my blood as the force- a masculine arm I quickly realized, began to tug me back.

"Anya!" The Doctor screamed, lurching forward in an attempt to help me. But before he could move anywhere near me to help, a woman stepped in front of me, holding a gun in-between her and the Doctor. "Let her go!" He continued to shout, but smartly not trying to move forward "I'm warning you! Let her _go!"_

Martha let out a squeak of surprise, so stunned by the sudden turn of events that she didn't even move. Around us the vendors shut the doors to their stands closed, not wanting to get involved.

For some reason, the woman with the gun started to _apologize. _"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." I didn't pay much mind to anything she said considering I was getting _fucking kidnapped!_

My hands shot up, digging my nails into the arm pressed against my throat and trying to loosen its constricting hold. Air was squeezed from my throat as the what I assumed to be a man, kept trying to pull me back to some unknown location. That's when I realized the sudden danger I was in.

Oh.._hell no. _There was no fucking way _I _was getting mugged, shot, kidnapped or what ever in New New York. Not if I could do anything about it.

Self-preserving instincts rose to my mind as adrenaline quickly filled my system, burning my veins with hot energy and lending my body a sudden strength. Following the advice of my instincts, I moved my arms and sharply elbowed the person holding me in the stomach two quick, consecutive times as I stepped on his foot, hard. Instantly, the grip on my neck soften considerably to where it no longer threatened to choke the life out of me. I tossed my head back, managing to hit the guy's nose if the sudden _crack _of bone and yelp of pain was any indicator. Throwing the whole of my body weight forward I stumbled out of his hold. Quickly gaining my footing, I took of into a sprint, pushing past the woman and following the voice in my head that said _run_ and other variations of the message to _get the hell out of there. _

Too concentrated on getting away from the kidnappers, I didn't even notice when the man, after recovering from my blows rather quickly, grabbed the still shocked and paralyzed Martha. Well, she didn't remain still for long. As the man tightly wrapped his arm around her neck and pressed a gun he'd pulled from his back pocket to her head, she began to struggle and thrash. It didn't help her at all. The man just pulled her back, having a much easier time kidnapping Martha than me.

I had plans on running all the way back to the TARDIS, but it didn't quite work out like that. Instead I found myself running into a mass of brown trench coat. After running into the Doctor, he wrapped his arms tightly around me and glanced down at me as if to make sure I was okay. Then he'd noticed the situation Martha was in and pushed me behind him. I stumbled away from him, stopping as my back was pressed against one of the green vendor boxes.

Once there, I stayed, pressing a hand against my chest as if it could keep my pounding heart from breaking out. I managed to hear the pleas of the kidnappers I didn't understand and the shouts of the Doctor that even frightened me over the sounds of my heavy, wheezing pants, pounding heart, and throbbing head.

"I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry." The kidnappers repeated. "We just need three, that's all."

Desperate anger laced the Doctor's screaming voice. "No, let her go! I'm warning you, let her go! Whatever you want, I can help. All three of us, we can help. But first you've got to let her go!"

"I'm sorry." The woman said. Was she _crying?_ What kind of kidnappers cry as they're kidnapping someone?"I'm really sorry. Sorry." Despite any threats or compromises the Doctor made, the couple continued to drag Martha back, eventually disappearing behind an old, scratched green door. A heavy _slam_ sounded as it was pulled shut. Instantly the Doctor moved towards it, wrestling with it to get it open. I watched from afar while the Doctor pulled out his screwdriver and soniced the door unlocked. Yanking it open, he ran in, following after Martha.

I, however, stayed exactly where I was- panting and trying to recover from that experience. No way was I going to follow the Doctor to save Martha. I didn't want to get shot or kidnapped. Rubbing my neck to ease away the pain from the man's hold, I considered heading back to the TARDIS and just staying there until the Doctor came back with Martha. There was no _if_ in that statement, because I knew the Doctor would save her, since he was a good person that did stuff like that. But then I realized the Doctor had locked the TARDIS doors and I lacked a key to get in.

So I opted for the next best option: stay where I was until the Doctor came back and then stick with him.

Not too long after deciding that did the Doctor reappear, coming out of the door he'd disappeared into to. Anger darkened his eyes as he stormed across the dirty street. As he approached me, the anger in his eyes softened slightly with concern. Stepping so close to me, he carefully pried my hand off of my throat with one hand. All the while, his other hand gently gripped my chin and tilted my head upwards, giving him a clear view of my stretched neck. Leaning close to me to the point I could feel the heat of his body, he used the first hand, slowly grazing his fingertip across my skin. Even at his soft, tender, feather-light touch I winced at the small pain that suddenly flared.

"Sorry," the Doctor stated softly, anger sparking his eyes and fading away quickly with control and worry. "From the looks of it, the skin will bruise slightly. It will fade away in a few days I'm sure thought." Then he asked in a voice that wanted to be gentle and kind but still held traces of rage from what had happened to Martha and me. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Immediately, I tried to brush of his concern, but the hoarse croak of my voice gave way to the truth that I really wasn't. I softly touched the hand that held my chin still and looked up at him. "Where's Martha?"

_The anger is back_, I thought as he swallowed tightly in an attempt to keep hold of _the Oncoming Storm. _"Gone. They took her; flew off in a car. We're gonna get her back."

"I don't doubt you," I encouraged. Nodding and still _so _close to me, he reached up and began to pound his fist on the closed door of the stall I leaned against. Leaning my head back to look up, I watched as it flipped up upon his demand to reveal the third seller, the one that had given the poor girl that Forget drug.

Seeing him, she grinned broadly and leaned toward him over the countertop where she caught a sight of me. She only smiled wider. "Thought you'd come back! Do you want some happy Happy?"

"Those people – who were they?" He quickly asked, mad as hell and not taking any more of their selling shit, not that I could blame him. "Where did they take her?"

At the sound of commotion, the first male vendor emerged from his stall to answer the Doctor's question. Oh _now _they wanted to get involved. Assholes. The Time Lord moved towards the center of the street, facing the man. "They've taken her to the motorway."

"Looked like carjackers to me," the woman nodded.

"I'd give up now, darling," the second pharmacist added, though she seemed to be empathetic as she gazed down at us from her open stand. I was surprised considering so far she'd been the only one to show the smallest signs of compassion and humanity yet. "You won't see her again." The Doctor visibly tensed at the statement that I didn't believe for one second.

"Used to be thriving in this place," the man added, gazing wistfully at the empty street. He seemed lost in the memory of the life this place had once apparently held. "You couldn't move. But they all go to the motorway in the end."

As they continued to waste time reminiscing about a place long gone, the Doctor's anger only increased. He whirled around, grilling them all at once for more information. "He kept on saying three, we need three. What did he mean, three?"

"It's the car-sharing policy, to save fuel," the third vendor answered him immediately. Apparently this was common knowledge, not that the Doctor and I would know. We'd just arrived here and had our friend kidnapped. "You get special access if you're carrying three adults."

"This motorway – how do I get there?"

Giving him the directions, she jerked her head back towards the way the kidnappers had nearly dragged me off and actually _did _drag Martha off. "Straight down the alley, keep going to the end. You can't miss it." As soon as she'd finished her directions, the Doctor strode off in the direction she indicated, not losing another second while I stayed put.

The the saleswoman started speaking again, not knowing when you should just _shut up _if you valued a continued existence.

"Tell you what –" she called out, "how 'bout some happy Happy? Then you'll be smiling, my love!"

"Bad move," I muttered, seeing the _Oncoming Storm _make an appearance in the Doctor as he turned back to glare at her, nearly snarling.

"Word of advice, all of you. Cash up. Close down. And pack your bags," he growled.

"Why's that, then?"

I coughed uncomfortably, "Really _bad _move." I was _so _glad I wasn't that unlucky chick as all of the Doctor's anger bored down onto her.

"Because as soon as I've found her, alive and well – and I will find her, alive and well – then I'm coming back. And this street is closing. _Tonight_!" His threat reverberated down the street, booming with his untempered rage. He took a second to glance threateningly at each vendor, silently conveying the truth he would keep his promise. With a turn, he stalked off into the fog, disappearing into the white vapors.

In the wake of the Doctor's threat, the pharmacists glanced at each other, apprehensive. They had good reason to be. They'd just been threatened by the Doctor...more so the Oncoming Storm than anything.

Sighing, I rubbed at my neck again, wincing at the pain; I realized that I probably should follow him. After that almost being kidnapped...experience I was more paranoid than ever about my surroundings. The only true safe place for me now would be with the Doctor.

Before I moved away from the box, a stinging pain flared to life on my neck. With a cry, I shot away from the stand and reached up my hands to where I'd been struck. Confusion fluttered through my senses as I felt the smooth texture of plastic against my fingertips. Was that one of those sticker mood drug things? Quickly, I ripped it from my skin, glancing down at it and studying it.

Most of the sticker was clear except for the green crescent moon insignia and the black word that described the 'mood' the drug created with a little number printed beneath it, probably the version of the drug. Heat rose to my cheeks as I read what mood I'd been infected with- _Lust 10. _Glancing up at the woman who'd slapped the mood on my neck with wide eyes, I waved the sticker around and demanded, "What the fuck is _this?" _

"Lust 10. A free sample. I figured you and him could use it," she answered, jerking her thumb in the direction the Doctor walked off. "You're both so..._tense._"

"_What_," I croaked, feeling _even _more embarrassed heat rush to my flushing face at what she was suggestion. Pointing a finger towards the direction of the Doctor, I stuttered out quickly, "Oh God. N-no. Just fucking _no_...That is not..._anything_...no..._we're_ _not a couple_..._never_ happening..._nope_...not a _chance._"

She raised a brow at me and smirked. "Really? From the way he was standing so close to you, looking at you like that, you two could have fooled anyone. If you're not already together, that" she pointed to the sticker, "will _certainly _help things along. You're welcome."

"God no! What the _fuck _is wrong with you people!" I screamed out, flicking away the sticker in disgust. Grumbling about stupid sellers and stupid moods, I stalked towards the route my Time Lord companion had taken. But before I left, I turned around and faced the weird vendors, looking at them with dead seriousness. "Oh and by the way, I would get out of here as fast as you could. He wasn't lying or kidding when he'd threatened you. He has seen whole universes burn and time freeze and a million more other impossible sights you couldn't even _believe. _The most wicked creatures of the whole of creation fear him. Legends are born every day about that man...the same man who just _threatened_ you. I suggest you listen, considering what happened to the last ones that didn't."

And with that, I pivoted on my feet and stalking into the eerie fog, letting it consume my figure and fade from sight.

Damn, when did I become such a badass?


	11. Gridlock: Downwards

** Slightly Crazy Author: That is good. I'm glad you think Anya is a badass. :)**

**The Yoshinator: Oh yeah, I had a lot of fun with the lust drug in this chapter and there will be even more fun in the next one. ;) Hopefully you enjoy the effects in this chapter.**

**LadyMaluHolmes: I'm glad you loved it. There are even more cute and funny scenes with the Doctor in this chapter. Since there was a bit of a wait for last chapter, I'm posting this one a few days early.**

**TheGirlWhoBelieved3: So did I. It was a perfect place to end it. ;) Thank you, hopefully you'll love this early update.**

**Fellowship of Avengers: Yeah, they can be quite random, but I've learned to how to understand them. ;)Yep, he does and so does Martha. That really was a horrible situation Martha and the Doctor created. Yep, of course its raining. ;) That will be revealed eventually but a hint is that the Doctor only had a little bit to so with why the Queen was so angry. Ikr? Yeah. Everyone does, or will eventually (including Anya who is oblivious to that fact ;) Yeah. Yes it can, and a few moves of self dense help as well to get away. Yeah, he is. He's a doctor ;) Yep. I'm glad you enjoyed. Agreed, Anya is the badass boss.**

**Thanks to everyone that has reviewed, favorited, or alerted. Also a special thanks to Fellowship of the Avengers that really helped with certain special scenes included in this chapter. ;)**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**Gridlock:  
****Downwards**

_The heart wants what it wants.  
_ - Emily Dickinson

* * *

Still feeling pretty awesome, I walked through the sketchy, neglected looking alleyway of the under city. I twisted my head, watching everything around me for anymore dark clothed kidnappers. Luckily there only seemed to be trash, trash, and more trash within the dirty corridor. I noticed how unkept and silent this place was, making me question if there were any people left in the under city or if they had all gone to the motorway. Thinking back to Martha, I wondered how many people were on the motorway willingly.

"Anya!" The sudden cry of my name made me jump and clench my hands into fists. Paranoia tensed my body as it prepared to decided between fight or flight (even though _flight _already seemed favorable). The Doctor soon appeared, walking towards me from a turn in the brick wall. "There you are. I found the motor way entrance. It's just down this way, come one." With a swish of his trench coat he walked back down the corridor, leaving me to follow him.

True to his word, a green sign planted on the cracking concrete wall pointed towards the door at the end, declaring it to be the _'Motorway Entrance'_. The Doctor strolled forward with long determined strides that were hard for me to keep up with. He gripped the metal lever, trying to see if the door was unlocked. "Locked," he informed.

"I could have guessed that," I stated with a smirk, trying to hold on the 'badass' bliss that still graced me. "You probably need to get the sonic out."

"Right," he agreed and reached his hands into his bigger on the inside pockets where he'd placed the helpful device. I stood by him, patiently waiting for him to open up the door and continue Martha's rescue.

Suddenly, I frowned, feeling something odd happening. An abrupt heat started to spark in my mind and stomach. It seemed to dully pulse slightly, slowly moving across my body. Then it flared, a quick unexpected shot of fire and..._desire. _Involuntary my body jolted as a clearly audible sound forced it's way from my throat.

Dear god...did I just _moan? _

Just as the Doctor had retrieved his sonic from his pockets, he heard the embarrassing sound from me. He quickly turned around to face me with a confused, curious expression. "Anya...is something wrong?"

"No, not at all," I waved my hand at his concern, not wanting _him _of all people to try to help me with my...situation. Before I could thrown in another lie that would hopefully diminish his concern with a dazzling, false smile and change the topic all together, another strike pulsed through my body, this time causing my body to lurch towards him and release another lewd moan. _Oh you got to be fucking kidding me._

Pinkness danced across his cheeks. If it was any other situation I would have laughed and teased the Doctor for blushing, but unfortunately this situation was not as such. "Anya, what is wrong." This time he didn't bother to even try to phrase it as a question, quickly going for the slightly threatening, demanding tone of voice that caused shivers to race down my spine. Not in _that _way though, more like fearful of the continuing of my life way. He was done with my bullshit and wanted to know the horrible truth...then again when was the truth not horrible in some way?

"Uhhh...umm..." I was almost fearful to speak, afraid that another noise would come out instead of an explanation. My fear only dissipated enough for me to speak when the heat suddenly waned (and did not completely disappear because someone likes to screw with my life). The desire stayed small, a glowing ember instead of a blazing flame. For now it seemed I still had a good amount of control over my body.

"Wellllll, when you stormed off after threatening the vendors.." which was kinda scary and awesome, but I wasn't going to admit that, "I stayed behind for a little bit. Still trying to recover and all that. Then the vendor bitch slapped one of those chemical drug mood...things on my neck. I quickly ripped it off and asked them _what the fuck is wrong with them_ because seriously what kind of asshole just slaps a drug onto a person? Anyways, then I departed in an awesome badass way with a threat of my own." At that last part, I grinned at him, loving the feeling of awesomeness that still glowed within me.

"How long was the token on your skin," the Doctor questioned, shifting closer towards me with calculating eyes.

"Not long. A few seconds at most." I answered him easily. " Why?"

He explained, "The pale girl. When she put that forget token on her neck the effects happened instantly. With you it seems they are just now happening." His brows furrowed in a confused expression and he raised his sonic to my face. He pressed the button, the blue light glaring into my face and the odd noise ringing in my ears.

"Oi!" I called out in surprise, slapping the hand that held the sonic. "Get your sonic out of my face."

"It's not _in _your face it's in my hand," he retorted, continuing to sonic me without a care.

"Get what's in your hand out of my face then," I snapped and blinked at the bright light in my eyes.

The Doctor rolled his eyes at me, turning off the device and lowering his arm. Although, he continued to watch me still with those deep, complicated eyes. "For some reason the drugs seem to effect you a bit differently."

"Why do they effect me differently?"

His answer came softly, a quick mutter of words as if he was speaking to himself and didn't mean for me to hear. "Because you're impossible."

Thankfully for him, I didn't quite catch what he'd said. "What?"

"Nothing," the Doctor quickly recovered, moving on to another subject before I could interrogate him for the answer. Smart move. "Instead of instantly effecting you, the chemicals will slowly start to take effect it seems. Later on though..." he suddenly trailed off, going silently as the wheels visibly started to churn in his head."

"Later on what?" I asked, taking a step closer to him, letting him know he _had _to answer me. "What's gonna happen to me later on?" Fear clawed at my pounding heart as millions and millions of horrible possibilities began to plague my mind.

"I have no idea," he suddenly grinned widely with enthusiasm at the thought of something _new. _

I slapped his arm with a glare.

"What was that for?!" The Doctor asked, pouting slightly as he rubbed his arm.

"I have a drug in me that might kill me," I explained, thinking back to my fear of the worst case scenario coming true, "and you are _grinning _like an idiot. Rude." I huffed, folding my arms over my chest as I glared at him in an attempt to seem angry to hide my real fear.

"Oh," he said quietly in realization. _Idiot._ The Time Lord stopped rubbing his arm and placed a hand on my shoulder, a move I guessed was to trying to be comforting. "You're not going to die Anya. Most likely the drug will either barely effect you at all. Or it will gradually effect you and then after one burst of the mood it will quickly ware off. Alright?"

Pausing, I chewed on my lip. "...Alright."

"Good," he smiled encouragingly at me as he removed his hand, causing arousing heat to flutter in my stomach. Instantly I frowned at the feeling, mentally groaning _oh God dammit, no no no. Stupid lust drug! _The Doctor opened his mouth to change the subject, which I would have been happy about if it had been any _other _subject, "So what mood did the woman give you?"

"Uhhh..." Once again no words left my lips, my pure embarrassment not allowing them to. Swallowing, I looked away from the Doctor's curious gaze meekly. Hey, remember that badass feeling from before?

Yeah, it was gone now.

"She...umm..gave me...," I visibly winced, clearing my throat as I approached the name of the damned drug that bitch gave me. Then in a blur of words I answered, "a-chemical-called-_Lust10." _

At the sudden explosion of words, the Doctor blinked and furrowed his brows in confusion. "I'm sorry. I didn't catch that last bit. A chemical called _what?"_ He asked for clarification. Of course that's all he heard.

Sighing in absolute defeat, I slowly gritted out, "_Lust. 10."_

"Ah okay," the Doctor waved it off and turned back towards the door, not really taking the time to _think _about the kind of mood. Then as if he suddenly realized _exactly _what mood I'd been effect, he sharply spun around to face me with wide eyes and pink cheeks. "_Lust?"_ He nearly croaked.

"Yeah, lust," I explained, feeling redness gather in my own face. Seeing him look clueless I felt like I had to elaborate, much to my growing embarrassment . "You know desire... longing... arousal... concupiscence..."

"I know," the Doctor thankfully interrupted, his cheeks now a darker shade. Although I doubted his blush was any where close to mine. "I know what...lust is, Anya. But why would she give it to _you_?" He asked with an almost innocent bewilderment.

Okay, by now I didn't even need a mirror to tell that my face was inflamed with a vermillion blush. If it was any other person this conversation would have been embarrassing, but this wasn't just any other person. This was the Doctor. For some reason, that fact just made _everything _that much worse. I took a heavy breath, trying to steel myself for the shear awkwardness and mortification sure to come from my explanation.

"Well, uh, for some goddamned reason, um, the woman thought we were together," I tried to explain as delicately as I could, most to save myself some of that humiliation slowly rising within me. Noticing how the Doctor was still confused, I released a huff of frustration and moved my hands to indicate _us_ as I clarified, "Together _together _as in a _relationship together."_

"Ahh," the Doctor _finally _had that moment of clarification as his cheeks darkened to striking red. I rolled my eyes at him, _the penny drops. _"Why would she think that?"

Giving him a shrug I said, "I _don't _know honestly, but she did for some reason. She also thought we were...uhh...too...umm..._tense_, which is why she slapped the lust drug on me. You know...to uh...help." The Doctor nodded, and thankfully I didn't have to spell _that _out for him. I honestly thought my face could not get any redder than it probably was. "So...yeah..."

The Doctor nodded, silently rubbing his neck; we awkwardly stood there, avoiding each other's glances as much as possible and not really wanting to think about what the woman had tried to insinuate or start by slapping that damned chemical onto my neck. Eventually the silence got to me, and I had to break it some how before I went mad...or madder. "Uh we should...probably open the door and save Martha," I suggested.

"Right," the Doctor nodded, both of us silently agreeing to not dwell on the lust drug or its possible effects on me until it came up. He moved towards the door once again with his sonic at the ready. The screwdriver buzzed in the dim light and soon the lock opened with a loud _clang_ that echoed down the dilapidated Doctor turned the handle, pushing up the heavy door.

Stepping through it slowly, the Doctor and I found ourselves with a platform beneath our feet and what seemed to be a thousand cars hovering above us, stuck in the sure to be the worse traffic jam in history and the universe. It was no surprise with that many cars on the motorway that the atmosphere was heavy and thick with exhaust smoke. Immediately I started coughing as the putrid smog clogged my throat and burned my eyes.

Next to me the Doctor pocketed the sonic device in his jacket as he glanced around the seemingly endless motorway; shortly after he began to cough too. He lifted a hand to his face, covering his mouth and nose.

I was just about to suggest we turn back and get out of the smoke before we suffocated to death in the toxic fumes, but I never got the words out. Right in front of us, the door to one of the floating vehicles slid up to reveal a large figure covered in protective gear like an aviator's clothes and a scar. "Hey!" He hailed at us, "You daft little street struts! What are you doing, standing there? Either get out or get in! Come on!"

The Doctor and I glanced at each other and nodded in a silent agreement to get in the car, considering we needed to get out of the smoke, and yet we needed to stay on the motorway to find Martha. Instantly, I bolted forward and pushed past the Doctor to stumble into the car. The Doctor leaped in and the kind stranger shut the door close with a automated hiss.

Both the Doctor and I started into a coughing fit just as the woman jumped up from her seat in the front. "Here you go," she stated, offering us both oxygen masks which we took gratefully. I clutched the plastic mask to my face, breathing deeply and greedily. My lungs swelled as I took in the sweet, clean, fresh air.

"Did you ever see the like?" The man remarked as he pulled off his googles and lowered his white scar to reveal the orange face of a cat.

_Hmm, a cat person_, I recognized from the Doctor's memories of the last time he visited New New Earth. _Cool I actually get to meet one_, I thought grinning.

Noticing my grin, the Doctor raised a brow at me. He removed his mask for a second to mouth _what._ He hadn't regained his voice yet it seemed.

Lifting my mask, I mouthed back, _Cat person. Cool,_ before replacing the mask to breathe in more of the sweet and needed oxygen. The Doctor nodded, grinning beneath the mask as well.

"Just standing there, breathing it in!" The cat man continued as he leaned against the back of the dark hair woman's chair. He looked at each of us, using his hands to enunciate his words as he began to tell an interesting story. "There's this story says back in the old days, on Junction Forty-Seven, this woman stood in the exhaust fumes for a solid twenty minutes. By the time they found her, her head had swollen to fifty feet!"

"Oh, you're making it up," the woman claimed in disbelief.

He moved towards the front, taking his spot in the driver's chair. "A fifty-foot head! Just think of it. Imagine picking that nose."

"Stop it," the woman said, turning back around in her chair. "That's disgusting."

"What?" He asked. "Did you never pick your nose?"

I snorted into the mask. This was one cool cat...err...really a cool cat _person_, I guess. All joking forgotten, the woman suddenly straightened in her chair. She tapped the man on his arm and pointed out of the grimy window. "Bran, we're moving!"

"Right. I'm there. I'm on it," he stated and shifted in his seat. While one hand was on the wheel, the other reached down and pulled the lever between the seats forward, shifting gears I supposed. Horns blared outside in the smoke. The car surged forward what could have been only a couple of feet because after only a second or two he pulled the lever back down, putting the car in park I guessed. "Twenty yards! We're having a good day." The driver declared, sharing a smile with the woman. I frowned in confusion, but before I could ask how twenty yards was good, they both turned back to regard their new passengers.

"And who might you be, sir? Ma'am?" He asked as we pulled off our oxygen masks and placed them to the side. "Very well-dressed for hitchhikers."

"Thanks," the Doctor answered. "Sorry, I'm the Doctor."

"And I'm Anya," I interjected with a small wave the cat man returned.

"Medical man! Ha-ha!" He grinned at the Doctor before introducing himself. "My name's Thomas Kincade Brannigan, and this is the bane of my life, the lovely Valerie."

"Nice to meet you," Valerie smiled up at us with nod of her head.

Brannigan gestured towards the back of the car. "And that's the rest of the family behind you."

Curious and wanting to meet whoever else was in the car with us, the Doctor and I turned around only to be faced with a patterned curtain. Easily, the Doctor brushed it aside to uncover a basket full of adorable little kittens.

"Aww, that's nice. Hello," the Doctor stated with a grin.

At the sight of them crawling about the blankets with little ribbons wrapped around their necks, a soft smile stretched my lips as I cooed gently, reaching forward to pet one. It was a tiny bit weird that they were calling out 'momma' but they were too adorable. I could have cared less. Softly rubbing the head of one orange kitten and feeling it purr, my heart melted as that one soft spot I had for children of any kind was struck.

I turned back to the grinning parents, telling them, "They're lovely." Valerie beamed in pride as I turned back and picked up the orange kitten I had been petting. Immediately it cuddled against my chest and continue to purr as I scratched its ear. "Aren't you cute?" I cooed tenderly.

Feeling a pair of eyes trained on me, I glanced up to see the Doctor watching me with a small smile of his own, both curious and shocked. "What?" I shrugged. "Because I'm sarcastic and rough most of the time, doesn't mean I'm not good with kids. I have a soft spot for them." I admitted to him.

"I never said you were," he defended still grinning at me. Then he reached forward and picked up a black kitten with a pink ribbon. Holding it in is hands, he turned back to the parents. I was about to turn around as well until a white kitten scampered over towards me and began to paw at my shirt. Catching the memo, I shifted the orange kitten to one arm and picked up the other before turning around.

"How old are they?" The Doctor asked, scratching his kitten's ear. I really couldn't help my growing smile. The sight of the Doctor with a little kitten was too cute.

Petting her child in the Doctor's arms as well, she answered, "Just two months."

"Poor little souls," Brannigan said. "They've never known the ground beneath their paws." _Whaaat? _Both confused by the statement, the Doctor and I glanced at Brannigan. Realizing we were at a loos, Brannigan clarified, "Children of the motorway.

"What, they were born in here?" The Doctor asked, as I looked at the kittens in my arms incredulously. Wow, I gotta hand it to Valerie for giving birth in here.

"We couldn't stop." The mother explained with a nod. Honestly, I really did try to listen to her and to learn more about what it was like to be living in the future and on the motorway, but the orange kitten in my arms apparently was quite mischievous as he managed to climb up onto my shoulder and started to bat its little paw at my ear and the few loose strands of my hair. The other kitten was quite content, purring as it nuzzled itself in my arm. "We heard there were jobs going, out in the laundries on Fire Island. Thought we'd take a chance."

"What? You've been driving for two months?" The Doctor exclaimed, looking between the couple. Wow, two months stuck in a car. Not the best of times.

Brannigan scoffed, leaning towards the Doctor, "Do I look like a teenager? We've been driving for twelve years now."

"I'm sorry?" The Doctor asked, startled and confused like me. Although the couple didn't notice their passengers, too lost in the wistfulness of their past together.

"Yeah! Started out as newlyweds!" The cat confirmed before he turned to smile at his wife. "Feels like yesterday."

"Feels like twelve years to me." Valerie muttered, glancing at the road ahead.

"Ahh, sweetheart, but you're still lovely." Brannigan argued. He reached over and began to tickle his wife. Their troubles forgotten, as she giggled and smiled happily. I smiled at them, before wincing slightly at the sting of the tabby on my shoulder tugging at piece of my hair. I reached up a hand and wiggled my fingers to draw the cat away from my hair. Immediately he began to bat at them playfully.

"Twelve years?!" The Doctor repeated. "How far did you come? Where did you start?"

"Battery Park. It's five miles back."

At that I frowned. Dropping my hand, I contrated for a moment on that statment. _Five _miles in _twelve _years. That math didn't add up. "What?" I simply said throughly confused, titling my head.

"You travelled five miles in twelve years?" The Doctor stated incredulous.

"I think they're a bit slow." Brannigan commented to his wife.

"No we're not- Ouch!" I began to protest only to let out a small cry as the little bugger got a hold of another piece of hair. Reaching up, I moved his paws away, gently reprimanding him, "No, no. Don't do that, Sweetie." As I spoke the name, familiarity flashed through my mind along with a sudden smirking voice, although no other information came. Like usual.

While the Doctor handed off the little black kitten to me, who quickly climbed up onto my other shoulder, Valerie questioned us, "Where are you from?"

"Never mind that, I've got to get out." The Time Lord waved away the questioned as he leaned against the chairs and glanced out the grubby windshield. "Our friend's in one of these cars. She was taken hostage. We should get back to the TARDIS." Without another word the Doctor slid the door we'd entered from open. A wave of heat and smoke met him, drifting into the car.

Bran warned him ,"You're too late for that. We've passed the lay-by." The Doctor looked from side to side quickly before coming back in the car and sliding the door shut. Apparent'y Brannigan was right, since the Doctor definitely would have jumped straight out of the car if there was a way for us to leave. " You're a passenger now, Sonny Jim!"

"When's the next lay-by?"

"Oh … " Bran hesitated for a moment, considering. "six months?"

Needless to say, the Doctor was not amused by that.

"Oh shi_iip,_" I began to swear. Then I realized that I had three kids on me and quickly edited my exclamation. Valerie nodded at me, appreciating the change in my normal vocabulary for the children. Despite that, a frown still graced my lips at the thought of being in this car for six months and of Martha being stuck with a couple of kidnappers for sixth months. Who knows what could happen to her between now and then. "We can't stay in here for sixth months," I told the Doctor, who nodded in agreement.

"I know," he concurred. Although, his heart was not really in the conversation going by the intense, pensive look written across his features and darkening his eyes. "We have to find Martha."

"Not if we're stuck in here." I muttered disdainfully. "Ow, will you stop that," I asked the orange kitten as he yanked on my hair _again. _Realizing their adorableness was a distraction for me, I turned back towards the basket, removing all the kittens from my person and placing them back down. They all mewed disappointedly but I rubbed their heads until they stopped. With them off of me, I wheeled back to the Doctor and began to rant off options, or really anything that could help our current predicament. "There must be something else. Something we could do, someone we could contact for help..."

"Call for help," the Doctor repeated softly. Then as if he'd been struck by lightning his whole face lit up with awareness Smiling widely, he looked at me and grabbed the sides of my face. A tingling, pleasant sensation spread along my skin from the tips of his fingers all the way to my toes, causing the heat already in my body to become even more apparent. "You're brilliant Anya!" My knees felt weak at the sight of his shinning smile and I nearly smiled back at him, blissful at all the sensations...until I realized _why_ they were happening. _Stupid drug, _I mentally grumbled.

"The Police! They can help us," the Doctor continued on, paying no mind to what he was doing to my mood infected body. He also didn't notice the sigh of relief/disappointment (stupid drug) I released when he let go of my face to turn to our drivers. "How can I contract the police?" He urgently asked them.

"There's a transmitter in the back," Bran answered, pointing towards the other end of the vehicle.

Without a _thanks,_ the rude Time Lord barged through the car, making his way towards the screen Brannigan had pointed out. I, of course, followed him, making sure to utter a quick apology to our drivers and their kids for the Doctor's behavior. As I took a seat next to the Doctor on the bed placed in front of the transmitter, the Time Lord pulled out his screwdriver and began to sonic the screen. The blue light shinned onto the screen while an insignia for the New New York Police Department spun in the center.

The familiar buzz of the device sounded for a few seconds before the Doctor held up the vocal transmitter and spoke into it. "I need to talk to the police."

As an electronic voice responded, the same words also appeared on the screen beneath the symbol."Thank you for your call. You have been placed on hold."

"What?" I automatically asked. That was not a comforting response. But seriously, what kind of police put people on hold? What if someone body was getting murdered? _Hello, yes, I'm getting murdered right now. _**_Sorry you have been placed on hold, try not to die as you wait._**

"But you're the police!" The Doctor protested.

"Thank you for your call. You have been placed on hold." The voice repeated.

Thinking back to our adventure with Judoon, I asked the Doctor, keeping my voice quiet with the children near by. "Are all police forces incompetent assholes in the future?"

"They shouldn't be," he muttered quickly. Then, he scrambled up to the front of the car where Brannigan and Valerie still sat, knocking the bright mobile hanging above the basket but managing to avoid squashing the kittens. Just as I joined them all up front, the Doctor was asking the couple more questions, trying to find another solution. "Is there anyone else? I once met the Duke of Manhattan; is there any way of getting through to him?"

Brannigan joked, "Oh, now, ain't you lordly?"

"You have no idea," I laughed, thinking about the name of the Doctor's species, _Time Lord._

"I've got to find my friend." The Doctor fiercely stated, not in a joking mood. Wow, he really was _tense. _Suddenly, I thought back to the vendor in the stall and how she had said the same thing. Though I blushed and quickly try to think about something else as my mind wandered to how the woman suggested the Doctor and I..._loosen up. Goddammit! Stupid fucking drug!_

"You can't make outside calls," Valerie said, "The motorway's completely enclosed."

"What about the other cars?"

Bran nodded, "Oh, we've got contact with them, yeah. Well, some of them, anyway. They've got to be on your friends list. Now, let's see – who's nearby?" He and his wife turned to the screen in front of them, looking for someone they recognized. "Ah the Cassini sisters!" He pressed a number from a list on the side, brining up a picture of two older women on the screen. Grinning, Brannigan brought up the transmitter to his mouth and started to speak into it. "Still your hearts, my handsome girls. It's Brannigan here."

"Get off the line, Brannigan." An elderly, female voice drawled. "You're a pest and a menace.

I snorted in amusement while Bran rebuked her in jest. "Oh, come on, now, sisters. Is that any way to talk to an old friend?"

"You know full well we're not sisters. We're married," she corrected.

"Oooh, stop that modern talk! I'm an old-fashioned cat." He chortled and his wife giggled. The Doctor just stared at them. "Now, I've got two hitchhiker here, one calls himself the Doctor, and the others calls herself Anya."

Brannigan held out the transmitter for the Doctor and me. Much to my disappointment, the Doctor snatched it out Bran's hand before I could. "Hello. Sorry," the Doctor said, the transmitter cracking every so often."I'm looking for someone called Martha Jones. She's been carjacked. She's inside one of these vehicles, but I don't know which one."

"Wait a minute," a different voice responded, although it was still older and female. Must have been the other wife, I guessed. "Could I ask, what entrance did they use?"

"Where were we?" The Doctor inquired to Brannigan who quickly responded.

"Pharmacy Town."

"Pharmacy Town," he repeated, while I thanked the cat man for the help. "About twenty minutes ago."

"Let's have a look." The second voice stated as the sound of pages being turned came from the speakers.

The first wife muttered, "Just my luck, to marry a car-spotter."

If her wife heard the comment, she didn't respond to it. Probably too busy flipping through pages. Instead, the second woman reported, "In the last half hour, fifty-three new cars joined from the Pharmacy Town junction."

"Anything more specific?" The Doctor frowned.

"All in good time," the woman tsked the Doctor.

Thumping his shoulder I told him, "Don't be rude and give me the transmitter. I have an idea." He pouted at my reprimanding, looking cute and sending heat through me. _Stupid, stupid drug. _Thankfully, the Doctor put up no argument and handed me the transmitter. "Uh, hello. Nice to meet you. Anyways, those people in Pharmacy Town mentioned something about a car sharing policy and a fast lane?" I questioned.

"Ahh yes. Was she car-jacked by two people?"

"Yeah, she was." I answered.

"There we are." She suddenly exclaimed and slapped something apparently. "Just one of those cars was destined for the fast lane. That means they had three on board. And car number is four six five diamond six."

The Doctor yanked the transmitter from my hand, causing me to pout. It was quite fun talking through it. "That's it!" He stated. "So how do we find them?"

"Ah. Now, there I'm afraid I can't help."

"Call them on this thing," the Doctor told Brannigan, waving the transmitter about We've got their number. Diamond six."

"Not if they're designated fast lane," Bran corrected. "It's a different class."

"You could try the police," the woman suggested. I snorted, already knowing _they _would not be much help.

The Doctor said, "They put us on hold."

"You'll have to keep trying," the first woman informed us. "There's no one else."

At that I frowned, disturbed by the statement. If the police were the only ones left and yet, were not even competent, what did that really mean? Was everyone on the motorway alone? How closed off was the motorway _truly? _Was there even a city still above? The unanswered questioned concerned and frightened me, brushing against the paralyzing fear of loneliness that haunted me despite how hard I tried to ignore it. I looked to the Doctor, only to find that his face was set in deep contemplation as well.

"Thank you," he said and handed the transmitter back to Bran. A few moments of regarding, damned silence passed before the Doctor spoke up again. "We've got to go to the fast lane," he declared. "Take us down."

"Not a million years," Brannigan immediately protested, his joking light hearted demeanor being quickly replaced. Now he seemed rigid and frozen, almost as if he was afraid, just at the mere _thought _of going any where near the fast lane. It was odd. Usually anyone would jump at a chance to get through a traffic jam quickly...though not if there was something wrong or waiting down in the dark.

"You've got four passengers!"

"I'm still not going," Brannigan held firm, not changing his opinion on the issue.

The Doctor frankly didn't really care about anyone's opinion at the moment, not with Martha alone on the fast lane. He leaned forward, placing his face right next to Brannigan and glaring at the cat man. "She's alone, and she's lost," he spoke fiercely. "She doesn't belong on this planet, and it's all my fault. I'm asking you, Brannigan – take me down."

Valerie interrupted, "That's a no. And that's final. I'm not risking the children down there."

"Why not? What's the risk? What happens down there?" The Doctor asked quickly and suspiciously, speaking the same questions that came to my mind.

"We're not discussing it! The conversation is closed!" She tried to settle the argument, but their protests just made me more and more curious. As any form of joking happiness left, I couldn't help but wonder why they were reacting so badly to going to the fast lane. Was it some sort of taboo subject? Or they knew very well something was down there and they were too scared to even speak of it.

"So we keep on driving," the Doctor scoffed.

Bran said, "Yes, we do.

"For how long?"

"'Till the journey's end."

My frown only deepened. The Doctor did not like that answer at all; he quickly reached over Brannigan to snatch the vocal transmitter. "Mrs. Cassini, this is the Doctor." He said Tell me, how long have you been driving on the motorway?"

"Oh, we were amongst the first," the first wife replied, "It's been twenty-three years now."

"And in all that time, have you ever seen a police car?" The Doctor asked, glancing at Bran and Valerie. Both looked every disquieted at the question, almost afraid of what he was trying to bring to light.

The questions the Doctor asked now must have passed through their minds once upon a time. But instead of searching for the truth, they had brushed the thoughts away, pushed them to the dark where the inquires couldn't bother them. Where the answer, what ever it may be, didn't crush the hope they'd managed to hold onto. So they never spoke of what was in the dark, avoided everything bad all together. Honestly, I couldn't blame them for that reaction.

I would have done something similar if my go to plan of running away didn't work. But right now I didn't have the luxury of pretending and avoiding like they usual did. Martha was in danger, and the we needed the answers no one sought after if we were to save her in time.

The second wife stated uneasily, "I'm not sure."

"Look at your notes," the Doctor persisted. "Any police?"

"Not as such," she replied, clearly upset.

"Or an ambulance? Rescue service? Anything official? _Ever_?"

"I can't keep a note of everything." Her voice now trembled with fear of the truth that they really were alone, trapped in the never ending motorway.

"What if there's no one out there?"

There's the question of the hour, I thought, feeling a bit uneasy too because I felt like I knew the answer, the horrible, horrible answer nobody liked to think about.

That did it for Brannigan. Angrily he took the transmitter away from the Doctor and put it again. "Stop it. The Cassinis were doing you a favor.

"Someone's got to ask," the Doctor retorted. "'Cause you might not talk about it, but it's there. In your eyes."

It was absolutely in Brannigan's eyes right then.

"What if the traffic jam never stops?"

"There's a whole city above us," he argued, though quite weakly. "The mighty city-state of New New York. They wouldn't just leave us."

"In that case, where are they? Hmm? What if there's no help coming, not ever?" The Doctor continued on, asking about every fear they didn't want to hear. "What if there's nothing? Just the motorway, with the cars going round and round and round, never stopping? Forever?"

Fed up with everything and near hysterics, Valerie suddenly screeched, "Shut up! Just shut up!"

The Time Lord never got to say another word because the screen at the front of the car suddenly blared into life. The picture of the news woman from before waved as she spoke. "This is Sally Calypso, and it's that time again. The sun is blazing high in the sky over the New Atlantic, the perfect setting for the daily contemplation."

"You think you know us so well, Doctor." Brannigan glared. "But we're not abandoned. Not while we have each other." Valerie smiled a bit at him.

"This is for all of you out there on the roads," Sally continued to say. "We're so sorry. Drive safe."

"Why would she apologize, if nothing was wrong" I said to the Doctor softly, knowing if I spoke any louder I might caused poor Valerie to snap. I really did not want to deal with an angry mother.

Instead of an answer, I got a song. An old hymn it seemed to be, began to play from the speakers,the couple up front automatically singing along. The words were beautiful, I will admit. The Doctor watched onto the singing couple, stone-faced and solemn.

_On a hill, far away  
Stood an old, rugged cross  
The emblem of suffering and shame  
And I love that old cross  
Where the dearest and best  
For a world of lost sinners was slain  
So I'll cherish the old, rugged cross, rugged cross  
Till my trophies at last I lay down, I lay down  
I will cling to the old, rugged cross, rugged cross  
And exchange it some day for a crown._

After a few moments, the song ended and left a small silence in its wake. The Doctor quickly broke it thankfully.

"If you won't take me, I'll go down on my own," he decided. With that decision, he scrambled past me to the middle of the car, pulling out the sonic screwdriver and inspecting the floor.

Bran asked in shock, sitting up and turning to look at the Time Lord in alarm, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Finding my own way. I usually do," he answered, sonicing the hatch along the sides.

As the Doctor lifted it open, an electronic voice declared, "Capsule open." I moved to stand behind the kneeling Doctor, looking down at the sight of the hundreds of cars below them and feeling my heart drop at the slightly intimidating sight. A vehicle pulled up right underneath the opening, and the Doctor looked as if he was about to jump down. Knowing him he probably was.

"Here we go." He muttered to himself as he stripped off his coat and then threw it to me.

I caught his coat easily, heat suddenly sparking brighter and spreading quickly. Smirking slightly licentiously, I drawled unbidden words with delight, "Now, Doctor are you putting on a show for me? And in front of the children?"

"Yes," the Doctor responded as he faced me, not really think about what he was saying. I grinned wider. "Look after this. I love that coat. Janis Joplin gave me that coat." He began to turn back towards the open hatch, only to stop and spin to me again. His cheeks were that lovely red again, sending a thrill of delight down my spine. Ah, so he did realize what he said. "A-Anya" he stuttered out, unable to form words.

"Yes Doctor," I leaned forward towards him with a purr and green eyes that sparkled with amusement and.._lust. _"Why so red? Feeling a bit _hot?" _I titled my head, feigning innocence.

_Oh my fucking god,_ some part of my mind exclaimed in embarrassed disbelief. _Am I _**_flirting_**_? With the _**_Doctor? _**

Then hearing my 'innocent' inquires, the Doctor's cheeks turned even darker.

And with that sight I realize I did not care. I was flirting with the Doctor, and _loving _every second of it, especially the pleasurable, heated rush that filled my veins with the sight and sound of his reactions.

The thought that I was acting like this because a stupid, stupid drug never crossed my mind at the moment, or any moment as the lust took over most of my mind, including the control over my words. Thankfully some part of my mind still remained focused on other issues, besides flirting with the Doctor.

"Remember there are children on board," we heard Valerie call from her seat. "No funny business in front of them."

"Yes ma'am," I stated, my grin splitting my face as I watched the Doctor open and close his mouth repeatedly in an amusing imitation of a fish out of water. "I have a feeling we won't be here for much longer. Right, Doctor?" Again I cocked my head to the side in that innocent way.

"R-right," the Doctor stumbled again. Oh, look he was blushing _even _more now. He shook his head, almost as if he was physically trying to get rid of the red staining his cheeks and to get his mind back on track. Apparently it worked, to my disappointment. I did love that blush so, but I was sure I could get it to reappear soon. He stood, adjusted his positing, and then knelt back down, ready to jump out of the car. "Look after that coat Anya."

"No," I automatically responded, throwing it at Valerie over my shoulder and setting down my own bag in the car. "I'm not looking after your damn coat. I'm coming with you."

The Doctor immediately started to argue with a flicker of fire in his eyes as he gave me that _I'm the Time Lord, you will do as I say _look that was actually quite sexy. "No. I've already lost Martha and put her in danger. I'm not letting the same happen to you, like it almost did. It's best if you just stay put for now," he paused, peering deep into my eyes, "Don't worry I _will_ come back for you."

Everything in that stare told me that he would and for a moment I briefly considered just being quiet and doing as he said. If I did, I would be safe, which was always a good thing. But then again, anger and rebellion flared within me at the mere thought of sitting back and handing the control of my body and decisions to someone else. Instinct mixed resistance screamed and clawed at me, making sure I did not let that happen at all costs. Electrifying fear also cackled through my nerves at the thought of him leaving me alone, just hardening my resolve as it was. But I would never admit out loud that I didn't want to be left alone, that I was _scared._

Also, there was another fire within me, curling wickedly in my core. It pulsed and breathed and sent such delicious sensations through my nerves. For some reason it yearned for the Doctor, urging me to move closer and closer to him.

Fire, electricity, and fire mixed, burned, and sparked together, creating a stubborn, impossible to sway, stance on the subject.

"_No," _I hissed, the pure emotion in my voice causing it to lower in volume but still keep its sharpness. I knelt down across the hatch from him, glaring in his fathomless eyes. "There is no _fucking _way I'm staying here. I don't care if you're a Time Lord, you still have no control over what I do. _I decide _what I do, and I have decided that I'm not going to sit here silently while you run off. I'm going with you, and you can't do a fucking thing to stop me. That is _final._"

For several moments, we stared at each other. I continued to glare at him, daring him to challenge me. Thankfully for his sake, he didn't and accepted his defeat, probably realizing he (or rather Martha) truly did not have the time for us to sit here and yell at each other.

"Fine," he huffed. Victory sung through me as I smirked, nodding in approval.

Leaning forward, I patted his cheek. "You can't get rid of me that easily." Then, I gave him a quick peck on the cheek, grinning at how it turned pink beneath my lips. Before I pulled back, I quietly told him in a low, impish tone, "If you keep being a good boy, you might get a _reward_ later."

My smirk only widened as I pulled away to see his cheeks flush crimson.

"S-stop that," he stammered.

"Make me," I grinned with a challenge, having a few ideas in mind on how he could stop me.

His mouth opened and closed repeatedly, before he brushed the comment aside and cleared his throat. "Later." He stated before shifting forward to the hatch, looking down at the car below.

"But you can't jump!" Valerie suddenly cried out in concern.

"If it's any consolation, Valerie," he looked up at the still shrieking mother, "right now, _I'm_ having kittens." I snorted at that.

"This Martha–" Brannigan began, looking at us seriously, "she must mean an awful lot to you."

The Doctor quickly responded, "Hardly know her. I was too busy showing off. And I lied to her. Couldn't help it, just lied." Suddenly, he looked up to our drivers. "Bye then!" With that, the Doctor lowered himself, hanging from the hatch briefly before dropping down onto the roof of the car beneath.

"He's completely insane!" Valerie cried as I shifted towards the other side of the hatch.

Brannigan said in awe, watching the Doctor through the open capsule, "That, and a bit magnificent!"

"You have no idea," I grinned at the cat person. Pointing towards the bag I'd left by Bran, I commanded them, "Please watch after that bag. It's all I have. Well, bye!" Waving and grinning, I followed the Doctor's example and took a leap of faith, dropping down onto the car beside him with a loud metallic thud. Unfortunately, I stumbled a bit, nearly falling over; the Doctor thankfully noticed and grabbed my arm to steady me. Instinctually, my body moved closer to his, some invisible force drawing us together.

Heavy smoke began to fill my lungs, causing me to cough heavily and pressed my nose and mouth against my arm. All the while, the Doctor drew the sonic screwdriver across the top of the car we'd just landed on. Flinging up the door, he dropped into the car with me on his heels.

That same electronic voice announced "Capsule open," as I blinked at the sight of the interior of this car. White, white, and more white. Overall all it seemed clean and sterile, reminding me too much of the hospital I'd been placed in. Upon hearing commotion, the driver, who was as white as the walls, turned to see what was happening.

"Who the hell are you?" Whitey asked us.

"Sorry, Motorway Foot Patrol," the Doctor lied, making me glance at him impressed. That actually was a good, believable lie. Unlike _Freedonia. _"We're doing a survey. How are you enjoying your motorway?"

While the Doctor crouched down next to the hatch in the floor and began to sonic it, I shifted to stand in front of him, blocking Whitey's view of what the Time Lord was doing. I smiled at the white alien, nodding my head and keeping up a lie of being a part of the _Motorway Foot Patrol_ as he began to complain

"Well, not very much," Whitey groused, trying to look past me at the Doctor's actions. I gave him a distracting smile to wave off his concerns. "Junction Five's been closed for three years!"

Behind me, the hatch open with a hiss. The Doctor pocketed his sonic and prepared to jump out. "Thank you." I said to Whitey, "Your comments have been noted. Have a nice day!" The Time Lord leapt through the bottom of that car and onto the next one; I followed him, thankfully having a better landing than last time. Although once we were back in the fumes we began to cough again as the smog burned our throats. If we didn't do something about this exhaust soon, I didn't think we could make it to Martha in time.

"Capsule open." The Doctor and I slipped into the next car, the Time Lord quickly moving to get the floor hatch covered in bright green snake skin open. That left me to lie to the passengers.

Turning towards the front, I blinked at the bright decorations of the car. Recovering, I quickly explained to the two started Asian girls, "Motorway Foot Patrol. How has your experience on the motorway been?

The standard electronic voice announced the opening of the capsule, so I turned and crouched by the Doctor, prepared to jump again.

"Thank you for your cooperation," the Time Lord added in. "Your comments have been noted." Then, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye and reached out to grab a blue and green handkerchief. He tossed the green one to me as he tied the blue one around his face, giving him a bit of a bandit look. "Do you mind if I borrow this? Not my colour, " he commented and then pointed to me as I tied the green cloth around my face as well, "Yours looks nice. Thank you very much." He said to the girls, as I just smiled at him, amused by his actions.

He dropped down onto the next car and I continued to follow him as when enter a car with two drivers lacking clothes. "Oh! Don't mind us," the Doctor remarked, not looking at the started drivers as he pulled open the hatch and we quickly fell to the next car, jumping in that one as well.

"Capsule open."

This car contained furry, red decorations and an equally red man sitting in the front. the Doctor just saluted him, saying nothing, and jumped through onto the next car.

The Doctor had the hatch open by the time I joined him on the roof. "Wow," I commented, finding it actually pretty easy to speak with the handkerchief blocking the smoke. "You're getting better at this."

"I'm a quick learner," he stated with a slightly muffled voice, beginning to lower himself into the car.

"Good," I smirked at him with glittering eyes. With a lower voice I whispered, "I could teach you a few fun things later." His grip on the hatch loosen and he nearly fell into the car. Seeing that, I giggled and winked, enjoying the blush peaking out from beneath the blue handkerchief. He just shook his head and jumped into the car; I followed, landing on my feet behind where he stood in the classily decorated vehicle.

The commotion of our entrance caused the driver to turn his seat. This time the driver appeared human, a man with dark hair and eyes. Overall very suave, which sent another shot of heated interest through me. Though as soon as the man saw the Doctor, his features twisted in outrage. He demanded, "Who the hell are you? Get out of my car."

Pushing down the cloth from my face, I stepped in front of the Doctor and gave the driver a dazzling smile. "Sorry about that," I apologized, but before I could even repeat the foot patrol lie to explain our sudden presences, the man interrupted me.

"Hello gorgeous," he suddenly purred, any trace of previous anger disappearing beneath the curl of his lips and the heat gleam of attraction that lightened his dark eyes. Although they were no where near as dark, deep, and complicated as the Doctor's. He leaned forward in his seat, resting his elbows on his knees. The smirk he gave me practically oozed suave charm and, needless to say, it was very, very sexy. My knees wavered slightly, threatening to turn my legs to jelly. "You on the other hand can stay as _long_ as you want. I'm sure we could have a _good _time."

Grinning widely, I took a step closer and looked down at him with half-lidded, gleaming green eyes. "_That _sounds very tempting," I purred, feeling a sudden thrill at the proposition. "I _might _ just take you up on that offer."

The man's grin only grew and the heated look in his eyes only darkened. Something hot sparked in my stomach at the sight. But before the man could reply a very _different_ voice interrupted the moment.

"No, no, no!" The Doctor stated, his hands grabbing my waist and pulling me behind him so he could separate us. As he was tugging me behind him, I managed to catch a glimpse at the darkness of his eyes where powerful emotions churned like anger and perhaps that was _jealousy. _I grinned. "No, there will _not _be any..._good_ times. Nope. Not happening. We're here on business. Motorway Foot Patrol," the Doctor protested and explained.

"What's wrong with a little pleasure in business," I asked, teasingly running a finger down his spine. Beneath my touch the Doctor tensed; I used the opportunity to step around the Doctor so he no longer blocked me from the suave driver. I glanced between the two attractive men with a seductive smile and sensual eyes, waiting for their responses.

Redness flooded the Time Lord's cheeks as his mouth hung open, almost if his jaw was on loose hinges. Stuttered and broken words spilled from his soft lips; once again he looked like a gaping fish. I smirked at him, loving how flustered I could get him with a few looks and a few words. It was an exhilarating pleasure.

Smiling slyly, the man rose to his feet and stalked the length of the car slowly to stand in front of me, completely ignoring the gaping Doctor. "I completely agree," he said. "It's astonishing how some minds can think alike. I'm Howard." Howard held out a hand towards me.

"Anya," I supplied, taking his offered hand. I expected him to shake my hand, but to my surprise, he instead raised my hand to his lips, kissed the knuckles and stroking the skin with his thumb. It was like a fairytale, the kiss on the hand reminded me and caused me to grin. "A kiss on the hand? Oh, you are _good_."

He lowered my hand, letting go of it in favor of placing his hands somewhere else on my body. "Ditch the prat and I can show you how _good_ I really am," Howard purred, hands hold my hips and using his strong grip to pull my body even closer to him.

That action seemed to snap out the Doctor out of behind a stuttering mess.

As if a switch had been flipped, the cute, fumbling Doctor was replaced with the furious, frightening Oncoming Storm. The glowering Time Lord march forward towards where Howard and I stood, grabbing my arm and pulling me out of Howard's grip. "No. We are leaving now." He growled with narrowed storming eyes at the man. Wrapping one arm tightly around my waist, the Doctor moved us towards the hatch and quickly used his sonic to open it. Keeping an dark eye on the disappointed forward, he practically shoved me towards the hatch; getting the idea, I lowered myself through it. Although I mouthed a disappointed _goodbye _to the suave driver

Landing on the car below, I patiently waited for the Doctor to jump down. Shortly after he did and got to work on the next hatch. "You're no fun," I pouted, but then I grinned wickedly. "Though you are sexy when you're angry and jealous"

"I wasn't jealous," the Doctor automatically protested, pausing in his sonicing.

"Could have fooled me." My grin widened.

"Just get in the capsule. We still have to save Martha," he said as he threw open the hatch and gestured for me to go first.

"What ever you say Doctor," I purred as I slipped into the next car.

He rolled his eyes, but it was the sight of lightly colored cheeks that caused me to grin widely as we continued downwards through the motorway.


	12. Gridlock: Upwards

**Fellowship of Avengers: Very true. If I didn't understand then how would we communicate. You are, and so am I. Yes, they are. Agreed, obliviousness is always amusing and fun. And that help is very appreciated. :) Me too. Poor, poor Anya. The Doctor is an idiot. Yep, that word will pop up more and more. ;) He is very cute, especially when he's embarrassed. I'm glad you love it. ;) Ikr? It's a long time. Yeah it's weird. It's a very pretty hymn. Yes, Janis Joplin really. Yeah, _almost. _Freedonia is still an awful lie. Possessive and jealous Doctor is fun. He'll make more appearances later on. Thanks, I'm glad. **

**Slightly Crazy Author: Yes, he is. ;)**

**TheGirlWhoBelieved3: Sadly, this update came a lot later then intended, but life got in the way. Though, this chapter is really long so and full of some good stuff, so hopefully that will make up for the wait. I'm really glad you enjoyed the flirting, because I will admit as I posted the last chapter, I wasn't sure how people would like it. So far, good response. :) Your wish is my command, be prepared for even _more _flirting with a few added surprises. That's great. :) I'm so glad you enjoyed it.**

**meganlloyd16: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoy my story.**

**Piperijanay Alexandria: I can say for certain Anya is not River Song. Nice guess, but I will say that just maybe in Anya's mysterious past a certain character might have had an influence on Anya. I will say no more though, because of spoilers. ;)**

**The Yoshinator: Oh yeah, I'm taking full advantage of the lust patch. ;) Mostly, since I will admit it while this is a Doctor/Oc romance story, it will take a while for them to actually get together. But until then I am adding in as much 'romance' as I can to make up for the wait. ;) And also thanks for the 50th review!**

**Important author's note: Alrighty, sorry for the long wait for the update. As an apology enjoy this extra-long chapter. (Seriously this chapter was not supposed to be this long, but oh well ;) Also, I'm making a few edits to the story, not much. It's just a change in format. Now at the beginning of the chapter, there will be a quote or line from a song that relates to the chapter in some way. I got the idea from reading an amazing Supernatural fic and figured it would be a neat little extra to add in. I also have changed previous chapters to include this new feature. I've also added a longer author's note to the beginning of the prologue to give readers a little bit more info on this story. And I've reached 50 reviews! That is awesome. Thanks so much to everyone that has read, followed, favorited, or reviewed!**

* * *

**Chapter 11**

**Gridlock:  
****Upwards**

_And the fever begins to spread from my heart down to my legs, but the room is so quiet. Although I wasn't losing my mind, it was a chorus so sublime.  
_- Florence + the Machine

* * *

We kept moving.

To the next car, and to the next car, and so on and so forth. We'd gone thru more cars than I could to count, but my attention was more focussed onto the man I was with and how each car filled all sorts of different people and species. Some were more courteous than others, a few offering refreshment, while several more were pissed about the intrusions. Although the Doctor made sure to keep us moving quickly after meeting Howard, not wanting to waste time or to give me the chance to flirt with any of the drivers.

Jealous spoilsport.

Though I got my revenge on the Doctor for ruining my fun by becoming more bold and lavish with my actions and statements directed towards him. The sight of his blushing, flustered reaction was delightful. With each passing moment, I was drawn closer towards him, as if there was something magnetic pulling us together. I would even purposely slip as we changed cars, forcing him to catch me again.

As we moved through the levels of cars, the smog grew thicker and thicker. The atmosphere was full of the toxic chemicals and heat. To me, the heat of the air continually grew thick and heavy, weighing down me down and nearly suffocating me. It became harder to talk, or even breath. By the time we'd reached the last layer, we were both coughing, almost hacking up a lung.

Much to my lungs' relief, we'd final reached the last car. Hopefully, I would be able to clear my lungs of all the smog filling it there. I wondered if they had started to turn black from all the smog I'd breathed in by now.

Like before the hatch opened and a computerized voice announced that fact. Quickly the Doctor and I dropped in, much to the surprise of the drive, who wore a bowler hat and a pin-striped suit, like the Doctor's. Personally I thought the Doctor looked better in it, but then again the Doctor would probably look good in anything, even something ridiculous like a Stetson, or a fez, or even nothing. That thought sent another wave of heat and desire through my blood._ Now _**_that _**_would be a wonderful sight,_ I thought, eyeing the Doctor lustfully who shifted and flustered underneath my gaze.

Anyways, the businessmen spun around to face us with fright, asking "'Scuse me, is that legal?"

Before, I could reply _probably not_, the Doctor answered him, ripping off the blue handkerchief and using it to wipe his face. "Sorry, Motorway Foot Patrol," although the usually effective lie was ruined as the Doctor dissolved into a fit of coughs. Then he tarnished it further by continued with, "Whatever. Have you got any water?"

"Certainly," the man replied, leaning from his seat towards a conveniently placed water cooler and filling a clear cone-shaped cup. "Never let it be said I've lost my manners." As soon as he'd handed the full cup to the Doctor, the Time Lord drained it. I took off my handkerchief, giving the Bowler Hat guy a smile as he handed me a cup of water as well that I quickly drank.

"Is this the last layer?" The Doctor questioned, not even bothering to thank the guy for the water.

Smirking, I hit the Doctor's arm. "Rude," I stated before turning to the man and saying, "Thanks for the water."

"Welcome," he nodded and then went to answer the Doctor's question. "Ah, we're right at the bottom. Nothing below us but the fast lane."

"Can we drive down?" The Doctor inquired.

"You need three to go down."

"We have three," I pointed out, gesturing to everyone in the car.

The businessman hesitated for a second, glancing fearfully out the window. A bit ruffled, he stated,"Uhh...well, I'd love to, but it's an...automated system. The course is permanently set. If I were to try, the wheel would lock." To prove his point, he shook the wheel and it didn't budge. I frowned. Something definitely was wrong with the fast line if people were making up poor lies to avoid it.

For a moment, the Doctor paused, deciding something. "If you'll excuse me," he suddenly stated, turning around and moving towards the hatch imbedded in the white floor.

"You can't jump. It's a thousand feet down!" The man cried out in shock as the Doctor soniced the capsule open.

As I moved to kneel on the other side of the capsule, I asked him, "You're not going to jump are you?"

"No," he said, "I just want to look."

The newly open hatch revealed a thick, murky fog encasing what was supposed to be the fast lane. The odd thing, though, was how some lights dotted the smog; it almost seemed like they were moving. With that thought, I doubted those lights belonged to vehicles in the fast lane, which would be a logical answer. It was just...those lights didn't move as if they were just regular traffic. No, the way they moved was more reminiscent of something...living. A fact that was quite unsettling.

Faintly, from the distance, a screeching roar echoed, sending my stomach into a free-fall.

"What's that noise?" The Doctor asked.

"I try not to think about it," the man stated with a shaky intake of air and a nervous gulp. Glancing at him over my shoulder, I saw how frightened he looked, the wary, sacred gaze he casted towards the open hatch.

"What are those lights? What's down there?"

"Something, that much I can tell you," I muttered, watching the moving lights. "Those lights... they're not from a car, you can tell by the way they move. Those seem like...eyes, honestly."

A blast of heat and smog came from the hatch, causing my eyes to water and the Doctor to cough. He waved the hand that still held the sonic screwdriver in front of his face, trying to bat away the toxic fumes. "I just need to _see_."

Suddenly, he shot to his feet and ran to the screen in the front of the car and began sonicing it. His movements became hurried, slightly manic and bordering insane, as millions upon millions of ideas seemed to race through his mind. "There must be some sort of ventilation," he stated, "If I could just transmit a pulse through this thing, maybe I could trip the system, give us a bit of a breeze."

Before anyone could stop him he pulled the screen off it's hinges exposing the wiring underneath. "Excuse me,"the bowler hat man hollered in surprise, "but what do you think you're doing!"

"Doctor," I reprimanded him, moving closer towards him. "Stop being so rude. You should ask before taking things apart if they don't belong to you. "

He continued fiddle and sonic the colored wires, not really paying that much attention to me. Barely looking away from what he was doing, he quickly stated, "Yes. Can I take this apart? Yes? Alright. Thank you. You're welcome."

I tried not to smile at his rude way of asking for permission. Especially since it wasn't really asking for permission at all with the one-sidedness of the conversation. The man huffed from beside the Doctor at that, but didn't even try to stop the Doctor, not that he would be able to. Pulling out wires, the Time Lord began fusing with them, pulling, and stripping others apart with his sonic screwdriver.

Curious to what he was doing, I watched his hands deftly adjust and work with the wires. Heat continued to pulse through me and with a wide smirk at a sudden idea, I kneeled beside the Doctor who continued to work. Leaning closer, my smirking lips brushed his ear as I quietly commented to him, "Hmm, you certainly are _skilled_ Doctor, in _so_ many ways. Especially with your hands. Would you mind showing me later what you can _do_ with those hands?"

Instantly, the Doctor fumbled with the two wires in his hands; a delicious looking blush rose from his neck to flood his cheeks. At that sight, I slowly licked my lips that were still next to his ear, causing my tongue to _barely _brush the lobe. He shivered slightly and my grin widened.

Just then, his hands fumbled again, causing a green and a blue wire to touch. The act resulted with a spark of electricity. A loud sound, almost like an old air conditioner starting up, resounded from outside of the cabin. The Doctor hurried back to the open catch with the man and I following him. We all looked down, seeing the thick smoke dissipate, slowly revealing large dark shapes moving amongst the fog. "That's it," the Doctor exclaimed in triumph, "Might shift the fumes a bit, give us a good look."

"What are those shapes?" Bowler Hat guy questioned. Squinting my eyes, I looked closely, trying to make out the shapes in the fading vapors. They looked like...claws? Okay, something was _definitely _alive down there.

"They're alive." The Doctor commented.

"What the hell are they?"

The smoke cleared away as the businessman asked the question on everyone's mind. Suddenly, it was clearly obvious to what laid in the fast lane—giant, jumping figures that looked like crabs? "Giant crabs," I asked in disbelief at the sight. How could there be _crabs _in the fast lane?

Apparently, they weren't any giant crabs, since the Doctor then corrected with a deadly recognition lowering his voice, "Macra." The new tone of voice he took on was quite sexy, and I would have commented on that fact if I wasn't so worried and concerned about the new revelation. The sudden fear caused by the grave expression on the Doctor's face pushed aside the prominence of lust in my body, allowing me to actually focus more on the situation at hand.

"So Martha's down there...with giant crabs?" I questioned hesitantly.

The Doctor only grew more grave, surely feeling some form of guilt at the fact he was the reason why she was trapped down there. "Yes, but they're not giant crabs. The Macra used to be the scourge of this galaxy. Gas. They fed off gas, the filthier the better. They built up a small empire using humans as slaves and mining gas for food."

"Gross," I crinkled my nose. Living off of filthy gas? That was a horrid way to live. Not to mention the fact they used human salves, which was something utterly wrong that pissed me off. Nobody should be used liked that.

The business man commented, "They don't exactly look like empire-builders to me."

"Well, that was billions of years ago," the Doctor said. "Billions. They must've devolved down the years and now they're just beasts. But they're still hungry and our friend's down there."

A sudden clank at the top of the businessman's car drew all of our attentions away from the beasts below. "Oh, it's like New Times Square in here, for goodness's sake!" Bowler Guy complained as we all rose to our feet. Speaking of feet, a pair dangled down from the open capsule, along with a mess of grey fabric.

"I've invented a sport!" The Doctor said with a grin to me.

Being left out of that statement, I slapped his arm, correcting, "_We _invented a sport."

The feet apparently belonged to a catwoman, I saw, as she dropped down into the car. Her body was covered in that grey fabric, the only visible fur shown was on her face that was split into a grin as she set her sights on the Time Lord. "Doctor," she commented, "you're a hard man to find."

With bulging eyes, Bowler Hat Guy pointed warily at the black and green gun resting in her hands. "No guns! I'm not having guns!"

"I only brought this in case of pirates." She defended herself, before turning back towards the Doctor. He was looking at her with squinted eyes, recognizing her somewhat, but not quite knowing from where. "Doctor, you and your companion got to come with me."

The Doctor asked. "Do I know you?"

"You haven't aged at all," she didn't answer the question, her eyes taking in his youthfulness. Then she glanced towards herself, almost sheepishly, "Time has been less kind to me."

"Time can be a bitch," I told her, earning a small smile of amusement, almost as if she expected a comment like that.

"He'd said you would say something like that," She said softly, and I almost didn't hear it. _Almost._

"What are you talking about," I quickly asked her, narrowing my eyes.

Before she could give me any explanation, the Doctor's face lit up with recollection. "Novice Hame!" He stated with a grin, hugging the woman. Seeing his antics, I rolled my eyes; a flash of heat flared at the sight of his smile and my knees felt a little weaker than before. But then I frowned, suddenly knowing _how _the Doctor knew Novice Hame. Wasn't she one of those cat nurses that used humans for experiments?

"No, hold on, get off." The Doctor suddenly stated, pushing the cat nurse away with a frown. "Last time we met, you were breeding humans for experimentation."

_I was right,_ I thought, frowning at Novice Hame, the fact she'd _experimented _and _used human begins _like that churning my stomach in disgust and sparking my anger. Of course, I had to use a lot of self-control not to burst in laughter as Bowler Hat Guy looked at the cat woman with surprised eyes that looked ready to pop out of his skull in a classic cartoony expression.

"I've sought forgiveness, Doctor," Novice Hame said, shaking off the accusation, "for so many years, under his guidance. And if you both come with me, I might finally be able to redeem myself."

The Doctor protested with a snarl, "I'm not going anywhere. You've got Macra living underneath this city. Macra!" He nearly shouted, pointing down at the open hatch. "And if our friend's still alive, she's stuck down there!"

"You've got to come with me right now!" Hame glared, stubborn in her position in the argument. Bowler Hat Guy and I stood to the side, alternating our sights between the two snarling people as they argued, almost as if it was a high stakes tennis match.

"No, no, no, you're coming with me. You've got to help us get our friend back,"the Doctor nearly cried.

"I'm sorry, Doctor, but the situation is even worse than you can imagine," Novice Hame admitted. She then looked at me, commanding softly, almost pleadingly as if she knew yelling and demanding wouldn't work on me, "Grab onto the Doctor." Hesitating, I looked at her for a moment, before wrapping my arm around the Doctor's and pressing my body against his side. I did as told, mostly because I didn't want to pass up the opportunity to get closer to the Doctor and not because I trusted the cat nurse.

As soon as I had latched myself onto the Doctor, who was suddenly sputtering out words, Novice Hame reached out and grabbed the Doctor's other wrist. "Transport," she stated, raising the other hand to touch the bulky metal and green bracelet she wore.

"Don't you dare! Don't you dare!" The Doctor began to scream in outrage, reaching up a hand to stop her.

But it was too late.

* * *

Let it go on record, here and now, that transport without a capsule absolutely sucks.

The instant Novice Hame activated the teleport, a sudden blue light appeared around us in shimmering waves.

Then everything turned black before my eyes, leaving me in darkness once again as nothing but pure fluidity and sensation existed. I couldn't see, only feel as if I was being pressed very hard from all directions by an invisible force. I could not breathe like there were iron bars tightening around my chest, squeezing all the air from my lungs. The force crashing into me made it seem like my eyeballs were being forced back into my head while my ear-drums were being pushed deeper into my skull. Pain sparked and fluttered through different points on my body—my head, my back, my knees, causing painful bursts to lit in my nerves and to ache in my muscles. For a moment, my body felt like it was being ripped apart, atom by atom and I tried to cry out, but found myself unable to.

Then it stopped.

The sensations seemed to happen for what seemed like forever, but in reality was just a single second.

The next moment there was light and stability as I appeared somewhere very different from the Bowler Hat Guy's car. Thankfully, the landing wasn't as rough as the trip. The air was forced from my lungs as I collided with something surprisingly soft?

Sharp jolts of pain stung my lower back; drums pounded in my head, knocking a war march painfully against my sensitive skull. _Shit, that fucking hurts,_ I distantly thought as my body seemed to groan out as one. The only relief to my soreness and aches was the source of soft warmth beneath me that also seemed to be wrapped around my waist. Eyes squeezed shut, I panted and stayed still, trying to regain my breath and bearings while waiting for all of the agony to fade away.

Gradually, it did and I blinked open my eyes, slowly raising my head to see where exactly I had landed. Streams of bright sunlight flooded in irregularly, illuminating broken chucks of rock, discarded wire, and other ruins that laid across across the grimy tile. Thin curtains trailed down along dusty columns that extended into the shadows of the large yet unkempt room. A low groan sounded beneath me and I quickly turned my head to see what it was.

I blinked at the sight, heated desire suddenly flickering, coiling low in my stomach.

Splayed on the dusty floor and pinned beneath me was the one and only Doctor. His face twisted in fading discomfort as he released another groan of dull agony. Clearly the trip had not been pleasant for him as well. The warm weight wrapped around my waist tightened, making my realize that it was the Doctor's arms. He must have grabbed onto me as we landed.

"Oh! Rough teleport," he commented quietly. "Ow." Slowly, his dark eyes blinked open, adjusting to the bright light flooding over us. His lips parted with a soft moan and he shifted his body again, creating a delicious friction that made my stomach curl inwards. Then, he locked his eyes with mine and I watched as they widened to the size of saucers when he realized our..._compromising _position.

"Well now," I smirked widely at him, watching his expression intently as I stretched my body on top of his. Resting my chin on my clasped hands on top of his chest, I continued to whisper to him, voice lowered to an alluring purr. "The trip here was awful, but the landing...not so much. What do you think, Doctor?"

Pinkness suddenly appeared in his cheeks as his mouth slipped open, but to my amused delight no words came out. He paused for a moment, trying to regain some form of clarity from the shock that consumed him. "Uh, I, um...y-yeah?" The Doctor stuttered, hesitant and embarrassed, sending a thrill singing through my blood. The tight grip of his arms around my waist loosened and his hands fell to my hips. He, then, dragged his hands carefully along the sides of my body, finally stopping at my shoulders. Though he wasn't as careful as he tried to be, since he winded up moving his hands along the swell of my chest, throughly feeling me up, to his growing embarrassment and my flaring desire. A shudder shot through my spine as delectable sensations prickled at the touch of his hands, causing my abdomen to churn and my body to cry out in want for _more._

Humming appreciatively, I asked with with a smirk, "Like what you feel, Doctor?"

Pink darkened to burning red, spreading from his cheeks all the way to his ears. So cute. The Doctor fumbled over a response once again, his dark eyes avoiding my lighter ones. "Ah, um, I-I'm so-o sorry," he tried to apologize, "I did not mean to do that."

"Don't feel sorry for that," I quickly informed him as desire for more continued to filter through me. My hands moved from his chest, gripping his shoulders. A wicked, _wicked_ idea suddenly appeared in my mind, and the smirk I gave the Doctor portrayed just how _wicked _it was. "Like how I don't feel sorry for doing _this..." _And with that word, I rolled my hips down into his as I moved my lips to brush against the exposed skin of his neck.

"Anya!" He cried out, his voice a higher pitch than usual. _Cute._ His fingers dug into my shoulder, pushing against them to force me away but I could tell he was holding back, not wanting to hurt me accidentally. _Sweet_. "You don't really want to do this."

"Yes, I do." I punctuated the very true statement with another movement of my hips, shuddering in pleasure at the feeling it created. With every word my lips brushed against the skin of his neck that felt so warm. Beneath my mouth, I could also feel the beat of his pulse that suddenly increased to a rapid pounding. The tight grip on my shoulder loosened slightly as a choked sound came deep from his throat.

Flushing to the darkest shade yet, the Doctor tried to form coherent words, but they only came out in a messy stumble of syllables. Swallowing tight, he managed to actually speak. "Anya. You need to stop."

The pleasure thrumming through my felt too good, too right for me to stop. I couldn't, not if it meant I stopped feeling like this. "Make me," I challenged, nipping at his pulse.

The sound of someone clearing their throat drew my attention away from the flustered Doctor. I turned my head slightly to see Novice Hame standing a few feet away, her grey robes disheveled from the rough teleport. Her expression seemed stern as she looked down at the Doctor and I, but looking closer, I could see the underlying amused happiness and slight embarrassment beneath the austere shell. "Umm, excuse me, Doctor," she addressed the Time Lord pinned beneath me hesitantly, "I don't think now is a good time to claim your mate. We don't have much time left."

"Right," The Doctor agreed to the last part, not really hearing the beginning of her suggestion. Fixing me with a hurried, demanding look, he said to me, "Anya. Please get off of me."

A disappointed sigh escaped me as I pouted, "Fine...only because you said _please._" Though with a growing smirk, I leaned closer towards him to whisper in his ear, "Besides, we could always finish up later." Just to see his blush deepen, I bit his earlobe and then sat up, dragging my hands from his shoulders along his chest. I climbed off of the Doctor, standing next to him as he hurried to his feet.

Widely smirking, I watched him adjusted his suit, his cheeks still burning as he tried to righten himself. He shook his head as if he was physically trying to remove the color from his cheeks and thoughts from his head. Going by how the dark redness continued to stain his skin, I didn't think it worked too well. Once he sighed and ran his hand through his amazing hair, he turned to Novice Hame. "Uh, um, sorry 'bout that," the Doctor stated.

The cat nurse gave him a soft smile. "All is fine, we just don't have the time for...that, but I'm pleased that you have a loving mate, Doctor. How long have you two been together?"

Her innocent inquiry nearly made the Doctor jumped out of his skin. With wide, panicked eyes, he spun on his feet to face the still grinning nurse. "What?," he nearly shouted, wringing his hands in the air, quite flustered. "No, no, no, no. We _are not_ together. Anya is not a mate...well," as he continued on explaining, his voice increased in pitch and speed, hurriedly trying to deny anything Novice Hame had suggested. I grinned in amusement, loving his reaction, especially how the dark blush spread to his ears and neck. "Technically she _could _be considered a mate, like a _friend_ mate, not a _mate _mate. Anyways, we're _not_ together. Nope, not at all."

"The Spaceman doth protest too much, me thinks," I slightly changed the Shakespearean quote, sending a wicked grin and heated look to the Doctor. Oh, how it cute was to see him squirm slightly.

"Stop it," he hissed towards me, but before I could make a salacious retort, the Doctor turned back to Novice Hame. The cat nun still had a soft smile on her face and a knowing look in her eyes, even as the Doctor pointed at the teleport on her wrist and glared at it. "That teleport. You can go straight back down and teleport people out, starting with Martha."

"I only had the power for one trip," she told him.

"Then get some more!" He snapped, the livid anger from before rising once again. I squirmed slightly at the sudden crash of heat in my body. It's not like I could help how hot the Doctor looked all angry and flustered. Taking a brief glance around, the Doctor asked, "Where are we?

"High above, in the over-city."

He continued to glare, "Good! 'Cause you can tell the Senate of New New York I'd like a word. They've got thousands of people trapped on the motorway! _Millions_!" The Doctor stressed, knowing that among all those people was a medical student from Earth, one that was only trapped because of him.

"But you're inside the Senate, right now," she informed at. The anger clearly expressed on the Doctor's face faded slightly with addition of confusion.

"What are you talking about," I asked her, throughly confused as well. Ruins surrounded us. This dump couldn't be the Senate, the center of the great city-state of New New York. Surely they had people that would have kept the Senate from falling apart...unless the Doctor had been right before and that there was no one.

Novice Hame sighed sadly, her hand reaching up to the bracelet around her wrist. Twisting the device, she stated, "May the goddess Santori bless them."

Lights flared to life, pushing away the shadows to reveal more of the large room we stood in. Above our heads, rows upon rows of seats stretched out, all containing skeletons. They sat in the seats the living once filled, another abandoned ruin amongst the dusty remains of a once shining city.

"They died, Doctor," Novice Hame said, her voice full of sadness paired with a tinge of old, pained remembrance. "The city died."

The Doctor asked, "How long's it been like this?" I continued to scan our surroundings, a twinge of sadness and horror filling me at how something as great as New New York could be killed like this.

"Twenty-four years."

Slowly, the Doctor and I walked over to a slightly raised platform where a skeleton laid, sprawled across the floor. With a forgotten anger, he kneeled down next to the corpse, looking at it, profoundly disturbed. He continued to question, "All of them? Everyone? What happened?"

"A new chemical," she explained, "A new mood. They called it Bliss." Kneeling down next to the Time Lord, she reached down to pick up a familiar, small circular sticker. It looked just like the ones the vendors had tried to sell to us when we'd first arrived, and the one that damned lady had slapped onto me. And like the others, the token had the mood it created written beside the green moon- _bliss. _

"Everyone tried it," Hame continued on, "They couldn't stop. A virus mutated inside the compound and became airborne. Everything perished — even the virus, in the end. It killed the world in seven minutes flat." Hearing the story, I frowned, my sadness and horror only increasing. I couldn't help but to think of course it would be _bliss_ that would cause people to ruin themselves. "There was just enough time to close down the walkways and the flyovers, sealing off the under-city. Those people on the motorway aren't lost, Doctor. They were saved." She explained, both her and the Doctor rising to their feet. Suddenly it seemed like the urgency of the situation was suddenly palpable.

"So the whole thing down there is running on automatic," the Doctor questioned, though the way he spoke it seemed more like a statement.

The nurse stated, "There's not enough power to get them out. We did all we could to stop the system from choking" Hearing the _we _in the statement, the Doctor and I both glanced at Novice Hame curiously.

With narrowed eyes focused on the nun, the Time Lord asked the question on both our minds, "Who's "we"? How did you survive?"

At his question, Novice Hame suddenly brightened. "He protected me," she stated with a softness, as if she was _fond _of the person who'd saved her. Well, thinking about, I would be pretty found of someone body that saved my life from a deadly mutated virus as well. "And he has waited for you, these long years," she said, looking at both of us intently.

As she said those words, a deep, raspy voice suddenly groaned out in my mind. "_Doctor_."

The words slipped from my lips, "Holy shit." Completely startled at the unexpected voice sounding through my head, I tensed and quickly looked around to try to find where it was coming from.

Shocked too, the Doctor's eyes widen; he glanced around quickly before dashing off. Novice Hame and I followed him around the platform and into another room with walls lined with what looked like old computers and a floor covered in varying wires. Though the main attraction of the room easily was the giant humanoid face floating in an also giant jar. Wires spilled out of the jar as well, connecting the face to the computers along the walls.

Immediately, the Doctor rushed forward, falling to his knees in front of the face. Of course, this wasn't just _any _giant face. It was the one and only Face of Boe, an old friend of the Doctor's. I recognized that big face from the Time Lord's memories, how they first met on the day of the Earth's death and then again right here in New New York. I also remembered how the last time they'd met, the Face of Boe had warned the Doctor they would meet for a 'a third and last time.' Remembering that, I frowned, looking towards the big old Face and seriously hoping that would not come true.

"The Face of Boe!" The Doctor exclaimed while Novice Hame and I followed him near to the face.

"_I knew you would come_," the Face replied, his eyes darting from the Time Lord before him to me. They were deep, seemingly bottomless, kind and very, very old, reminding me so much the of Doctor's. Something flashed briefly in those deep and old eyes, a quick spark of some kind of emotion that disappeared too quickly into the dark for me to catch. I looked back at the Face curiously, searching for anything else in his expression or eyes.

"Back in the old days," Hame began, "I was made his nurse, as penance for my sins." She looked down in same, holding a hand to her heart. Next to her, I patted her arm and tried to give her a reassuring smile. She might have done some wrong things in the past, but by staying here with Boe and helping to save all those people, I was sure she'd done more than enough to redeem herself. She looked up at him, nodding and smiling in thanks.

The Doctor softly asked with an expression of concern, "Old friend, what happened to you?"

Moving his head slightly, the Face wheezed out, "_Failing_." My smile dropped as worry and dread sunk in my stomach. Again, I found myself hoping and wishing that this truly wouldn't be the last time the Doctor got to see his old friend. At the Face's weak reply, the Doctor lifted a hand to rest on the glass.

"He protected me from the virus by shrouding me in his smoke," the cat nurse explained, drawing the Doctor's attention to her, "But with no one to maintain it, the City's power died. The under-city would have fallen into the sea."

The Time Lord paused for a second, the gears in his head turning. Realizing what she meant, he looked back at Boe with awed understanding, "So he saved them."

"The Face of Boe wired himself into the mainframe," she agreed. "He's giving his life force just to keep things running."

"But there are planets out there," the Doctor stated. "You could have called for help."

"Unless they couldn't," I said, glancing between the giant face and nurse cat.

Novice Hame nodded in agreement to me. She explained,"The last act of the Senate was to declare New Earth unsafe. The automatic quarantine lasts for one hundred years."

"That really sucks," I mumbled and looked at the Face of Boe. Something else flashed in his eyes, but before I could figure out what it was, it vanished as well. I nearly cursed out aloud in frustration, I saw a gleam of amusement lurking in those depths. Apparently, I amused the Face of Boe. Huh, alright.

The Face released another wheezy breath and the Doctor's expression deepened in concern when he looked back at him. Slowly, the Time Lord rose to his feet and moved towards Novice Hame and I. "So the two of you stayed here — on your own," he stated, "for all these years."

"We had no choice." She replied and glanced downwards.

Reaching out, the Doctor touched her shoulder. "Yes, you did," he told her softly. Novice Hame looked at him thankfully, knowing that he considered her forgiven for what she'd done the last time he'd visited New New Earth.

"_Save them, Doctor, Anya. Save them_." The Face of Boe pleaded.

The Doctor glanced back at Boe, quiet for a moment. Then, he nodded, his face beginning to set into that deep determination to do as Boe asked and save everyone in the Motorway, especially Martha. "Alright, first of all," the Doctor began, reaching a hand into his suit jacket to pull out a pair of black glasses. He put them on quickly, walking over to the wall of computers across the room. I grinned as he looked back at me, enjoying the sight of him all determined and commanding. It was quite a hot sight, only made hotter by the addition of the 'sexy specs.' "I'll need to gain access to the computers to look at the layout of the power grid. Hopefully I'll be able to pull up a diagram of the Motorway with all registered cars, including the one Martha's in. Anya, Novice Hame, you can help by stripping down the wires."

Immediately, Novice Hame went to work, going to the other side of the room and beginning to strip the wires pilled there. I, on the other hand, travelled across the room to a pile of wires near the Doctor, who was busy at work, sonicing the computer imbedded in the wall before him and occasionally hitting it in hurried frustration. "Sir, yes, sir, although I'd much rather be stripping some_one_ else," I purred as the Doctor, running a hand across his back. Seeing him tense, I flashed him a wicked grin.

From where I stood, I could see a faint pinkness suddenly blossom on his cheeks. "Just..do as I said," the Doctor stated, clearing his throat. I saluted him with a wink before I picked up a wire from a tangle mess at my feet, quickly trying to work off the plastic covering off of the metal wire beneath.

For a few silent moments, we all worked diligently. The only noise filling the room was the buzzing of the Doctor's sonic screwdriver as he continued to try to hack into the old system. During that time, I was actually quite productive, managing to strip down several wires.

I was in the middle of stripping down yet another wire when I suddenly stopped with a confused frown.

Something odd was happening to me, _again. _

Sensations suddenly filled my body. It was almost as if I'd swallowed something warm, the tangible heat traveling down my throat and then curling tightly in my stomach. The heat rested there a brief moment.

Then everything exploded.

A wave of lust crashed into my body, the unexpected rush of it causing me to jerk as if it had been a real force. Such divine pleasure surged through my veins, burning my skin and making everything, including sensation and perception, hypersensitive and heightened. My whole body began to actually quiver. Sparks of desire and craving started to alight, flickering, moving, _wanting _for more. The strangest thing happened when my body cried out once again as it suddenly began to ache_, _like before when I'd landed after being teleported. Though, this ache was quite _different. _Before the cause had been the pain of rough travel. Now it was a hallowed , longing feeling, as if I was dying of thirst and hunger, although I was not hungry for food. My body starved for heat, for pleasure. My body _craved_ it, almost desperately.

Heat continued to scorch through my body, touching every part of it and eventually reaching my mind. A foggy haze settled over my mind, quickly pushing away any thought that wasn't lustful. Everything became...unfocused, distant...Another pulse of desire-filled fire sparked through, so powerful it was nearly painful...but it was such a _delicious _ , the sheer strength of the flood caused the wire to slip from my hand, sending it crashing to the floor. Visibly, my body suddenly jerked and a low groan escaped my throat.

That quickly caught the attention of the Doctor beside me.

Hearing the crash of the wire and my groan, he quickly pocketed the screwdriver before rushing before me. His focus on saving the people trapped on the Motorway was replaced with concern, seeing my body twitch and jerk. "Anya, what's wrong? Do you need something?" he asked softly, placing his hands on my shaking shoulders.

At the touch of his hands, my eyes flew open—I wasn't aware I had even closed them—and a quiet moan slipped through my lips. My heart fluttered in my chest and my lungs where suddenly empty of air. Though, I could barely feel that, considering how my skin suddenly burned. It was as if my skin was on fire, and the only relief it received came from the smallest touch of the Doctor's hands on my shoulders. His touch caused my body to tremble and when my knees gave out, the Doctor was quick to catch me. His arms wrapped around my body, pressing me closer to him; his simple _presence _became a sudden relief to every ache and burn in me; though it only caused a craving for more. Every part of me screamed for the man before me, crying and demanding for his touch, his lips, his body, his heat...everything around me seemed to fade away, leaving only him, me, and my lust.

Glancing up at him and those endless, dark eyes of his, I managed to answer him. "_You." _The word was full of emotion, or rather _a _certain lustful emotion and as soon as I'd said it, my expression grew dark, full of desirous abandon. _"Now,"_ I stated, voice quiet, but low and demanding as I curled my hands into the fabric of his suit in a tight grip. Barely after the word left my mouth before I surprised the Doctor with the force I used to turn him and shove him into the wall of computers.

"Anya?" The Doctor questioned, his face becoming inflamed as I pressed my body closer to his, nearly crying out at how good the simple action felt. One of my hands released his shirt, only to slide up across his chest, feeling the subtle muscles beneath the tight fabric, until my reached his tie. "What are you doing?" The Doctor continued to ramble off question after question, trying to understand the rather simple situation where I wanted him, here and now.

Rolling my eyes at his impotence, I yanked the tie, quickly wrapping the fabric around my palm, once, twice. "Oh, Doctor," I said softly, reaching up the other hand to rest on the back of his neck, "You _really _need to learn when to shut up." Using the hold of his tie and neck, I quickly yanked the Doctor's head down and covered his mouth with mine before the Doctor could even think.

His lips were both freezing and scalding against mine, a sweet, cool alleviation and a blinding, burning spark. I made some kind of a relieved, wanton sound that was lost in the nearly savage and urgent way I kissed him. The Doctor let out a surprised, strangled cry and his body began to squirm, creating a pressure and friction between our bodies that rendered me nearly useless. Something seemed to break inside of me and I groaned throatily, barely able to contain myself—I needed _more_, this wasn't _enough_, I needed to get _closer. _I had no choice but to press against him again, pulling at him furiously, needing him _closer_, needing more of this pressure and sensation, more of him. Writhing against me, the Doctor's body and the sensation of it against mine caused me to let out a low sound in the deepest part of my throat, almost like I was in pain, but it wasn't quite painful. It was a burning feeling of desperation and need, crying out for the same thing—the Doctor.

Completely and utterly giving into that wanting ache, I slipped a knee in-between his legs and pressed forward, almost falling into him and his warmth. Quickly, the Doctor's arms came around me, catching me and in the process, crushing every part of his body against mine. _Finally,_ I felt his lips pressing back against mine; the sensation of so blissfuly perfect and relieving, it felt like an oasis after years in a dry desert.

The Doctor's arms loosened their grip and his hands began to travel up along the sides of my body again. I let out a breathy whimper, my back arching involuntarily against him. Releasing his neck and tie, I ran my hands across his chest. As I dug my fingers into him, I tugged almost harshly at his lower lip, loving the movement and pressure of his mouth against mine. Small sounds escaped him and fell into me as his hands skimmed over the bare, blistering skin of my shoulders and held onto my upper arms.

With the strength I didn't expected him to use, the Doctor took advantage of his grip on my arms and pushed me away from him, breaking the lock I had on his lips and creating a thin silver of space between ourselves that felt despairingly like a gapping chasm. This little, dying sound slipped through my lips, making me sound like some sort of wounded animal. Immediately, I tried to throw my body forward, tried to go back to that source of blissful pleasure, but the Doctor's grip was too firm and he managed to keep me away without hurting me, physically at least.

"Anya," the Doctor nearly gasped. We were both breathing hard, like we'd just run for an hour. The Doctor looked muddled and flushed as he panted to regain his breath, eyes darker than I had ever seen them. "Anya," he repeated, his voice not quite as breathless. "You need to stop. This isn't really you. This is the drug, taking control. Remember what I had predicted earlier? That this would happen...well I didn't predicted you would try to..." his voice trailed off, the pink flush in his cheeks darkened. "Anyways, you need to stop."

"Don't want to," I stated before I started to struggle and squirm against his grip.

Unfortunately, his hold didn't relent. "Anya," he stated, his voice full of warning. "You need to stop this. We don't have _time._ Martha is still trapped in the Motorway with millions of other people. We have to help them, and I can't do that if you keep trying to..uh..." The Doctor paused, searching for a word to describe what I was trying to accomplish. Redness spread to his ears, most likely thanks to certain ideas that happened to past through his mind. "...well, you know," he stuttered out, embarrassed.

Smirking widely, I tried to lean closer towards him. I asked him, "Care you to share your thoughts?"

"Yes," he replied quickly, though what he preceded to say was not what I'd had in mind for him to share. "You need to stop, before something happens. Before you do something you'll regret." His voice lowered, heavy with concern, "Before you get hurt."

"Don't care," I said, and it was the truth. The haze that had settled over my mind kept all of my thoughts completely focused on the heat in my body and how I wanted _more_.

The Doctor replied, "I do." Sighing, he paused, his expression dropping as he retreated into his mind, formulating a plan. I could practically see the gears turning in his head, but mostly I thought how sexy he seemed, especially in that moment and how much I wished he would stop thinking so much, despite how great he looked doing it, and just kiss me. Eventually, the Doctor spoke again, hesitant with slow words, as if he wasn't sure his plan would would, "How about a compromise? You stop, right now and let me save Martha and all the people on the Motorway...Then later, you can pick up were you left off. I'll do...anything you want..._we_ can do anything you want."

That made me pause. I stopped struggling against his hands and thought over the offer, some of the heavy haze clouding over my mind fading to give me a second of clarity. "...Anything?" I asked, looking at him with smoldering eyes and a slow, lazy smirk. "Anything at all?"

Swallowing thickly, an embarrassed, bright red blush stained his cheeks. "Y-yes," he stuttered a bit, his mind obviously wandering, much like mine. "Anything."

My smirk slowly spread, my mind quickly making a decision. "You have a deal, Doctor," I informed him, already formulating plans and ides that would take complete advantage of the _anything I want _clause of the agreement. A part of my burning body cried out in agony at the fact that I would have to stop, but despite that, I knew it would be better to take the deal now, that way later would be _far _more enjoyable.

A long sigh of relief escaped the Doctor, his shoulders visibly relaxing and his grip on my arms softening since he no longer had to hold me back. "Thank you," he stated.

"No, thank _you_," I smirked, leaning just a bit closer to him. "This will be fantastic." The Doctor nodded, shifting uncomfortable and blushing darkly. "Alright, so do you need me to strip some more wires?"

"No, no, no," he replied, glancing around. "I think it would be better for you to just...stay out of the way. Especially with your..condition." His hands moved to my shoulders; holding onto them, he leading me away from the computers, slowly moving across the room. Instinctually my body moved closer to his, still searching for that bliss. "How about you sit here with the Face of Boe!" He suggested with too much brightness.

Pushing on my shoulders, he guided me to a seat next to the large jar. Then, he sat me down next to the giant head. "Face of Boe, meet Anya. Anya, meet the Face of Boe. Keep each other company and," his voice suddenly lowered to a whisper and he leaned towards the large face, "please give me a warning if she tries to come near me again." Overhearing the request, I snorted, flashing the Doctor a smirk paired with half-lidded eyes.

The Face's deep laugh echoed in my mind, along with his reply, "_Can do, Doctor._" The Time Lord nodded; he pivoted on his heel and made his way back to the computer, heading back to work. Smirking to myself, I watched him walk away, my eyes focusing on a certain, very nice part of his backside. Next to me, the Face of Boe chuckled.

"What do you find so funny," I questioned the Face, deciding to take a break from staring at the Doctor, since the usually enjoyable act was becoming more torturous, taunting me with that I could have...until later at least. Although, it seemed a bit weird, whatever haze that had settled over me was slowly dispiriting, allowing my mind to focus on other things. For example, no longer completely absorbed by the Doctor, I actually decided I could use my time wisely and get some answers out of the mysterious Face. I had not forgotten those odd looks he'd given me, and the fact he apparently knew me.

"_Just you,_" he simply replied, his lips twitching slightly in what could have been a fond smile, although expressions on a giant face looked every different. "_It's just been so long since I've laughed, and no one is quite as amusing and spunky as you." _

I didn't know wether to smile at the compliment or frown in confusion. "I'm sorry, but have we met before?" I asked him, only to earn another chuckle in response.

"_Yes and no,_" Face stated.

"You must really enjoy this whole mystery wrapped in an enigma, served with half answers shit," I said dryly, folding my arms over my chest.

"_Maybe."_

"You're an ass." Despite my 'harsh' words, I cracked a grin, which served to only amuse Boe even more.

_"I've been called worse, and better. Especially by you."_

"So we have met each other before," this time it wasn't a question. The level of familiarity he spoke to me with, along with the little jokes, only confirmed my suspicions. We knew each other, definitely and pretty well, it seemed.

His large head moved subtly, as if he tried to nod in agreement. _"At this point in time, no, for you at least. Although I cannot be completely sure. You and your Doctor never like to do anything in the right order. You, especially when it comes to me." _

The answer he gave me sparked another question in my mind, a question I'd been wandering to myself ever since I woke up in that hospital. I swallowed thickly, my body shifting nervously. "Um, so you know me, does that mean you know about my...errr...amnesia? And don't give me some half-answer mysterious shit, not about this topic." I added with a growl.

The Face paused for a second. "_Yes_."

I nodded, slowly licking my lips. "...Alright. So do you what my lacking past is."

Another hesitation. "_Yes." _

"Really?" I asked, immediately brightening at the sudden prospect. He knew my past! He knew it and could tell me! No more wandering who I was, where I came from, why I was in the hospital and any other identify-doubting questions that haunted the empty space of my mind. So many of my questions could be answered, finally. Dear god, it was wonderful to finally get a break. "So you could tell me my past?"

Then his answer shattered any hope I had.

_"No." _

"What the _hell_," I hissed, the relief and hope switching to anger and despair. Of course, I wasn't about to cry like some part of me wanted to. Not here in front of the Face and by the Doctor. My pride couldn't take the blow, so I opted for lashing out with the anger I felt. "Why the fuck not?"

_"I cannot even begin to explain."_

"Well, try then."

The Face sighed and the lines on his face seemed to deepen. His deep eyes grew deeper, an almost sad remembrance filling them. _"Let's just say timelines, _**_your _**_timelines, are very fragile and delicate and very subjected to change. Simply saying a wrong word, or moving slightly in the wrong way, even, could change everything."_

I sighed heavily, my body slumping in defeat. Well, I couldn't exactly argue with that, not matter how much I wanted to. From the Doctor's memories, I understood just how important and messed up time could be. It was tangled, infinite, messed up, and important, but it certainly was not set in stone. Time could be rewritten, a lesson I felt like I knew better than anyone, but I didn't know why, like a lot of things since I had no fucking past, one that would remain a mystery for what seemed like forever. That still pissed me off.

"Will I..._ever_ learn my past," I asked. I tried to keep my voice loud and strong, but I wasn't able to keep up the facade for long. The way I spoke sounded like small and vulnerable and raw, too...revealing to the truth on how I felt about my nonexistent past than I liked to be.

For a moment, the Face of Boe was silent, his eyes taking on that far off look of remembrance and other emotions, some too complicated to name. Somehow I managed to decipher a few of them and to my surprise I found...understanding, instead of the pity I would have normally expected. That pleased me, since I knew I would just get pissed off if anyone pitied me, especially since I didn't need, or _want_, it.

"_Eventually,"_ he finally answered. Relief immediately washed over me, my shoulders sagging as if they'd just been relieved of an impossible weight. _"I will not lie to you about this, Anya, I know how...important this is to you. I know how much pain it causes you."_ Automatically, I opened my mouth to deny the truth, but the Face wasn't taking any of my shitty lies. _"Don't even try denying it. I _**_know _**_you and I know it will take a long time for everything to be revealed about you and some of the things you learn will not be...good, but that won't matter in the end. Just be patient, and don't worry so much. Live your life, don't focus on what has been so much. You'll regret it if you do."_

I allowed the words to sink in, to settle in my mind and heart. "Thank you," I softly stated, placing a hand on the glass of his tank.

_"You're welcome, beautiful."_

Snorting a bit, I smiled, instinctually knowing the little name to be an endearing, inside joke. "You got any other mystical advice for me," I asked jokingly.

_"Always. For example," _the Face of Boe answered with a knowing gleam in his eyes, _"next time you try to jump the Doctor, go for the hair first."_

Opening my mouth, I began to give a snarky, witty reply, but the words were stuck in my throat as a change occurred. It wasn't sudden; actually it had been a bit gradual, but I hadn't noticed, thanks to being to involved in my chit-chat with the Face of Boe. All the heat, lust, desire and heavy haze that had once consumed my body and conquered my mind had faded away. The effects of the lust drug that vendor woman had slapped onto my neck, which seemed so long ago, had finally worn off. The Doctor had predicted it; with a sudden burst of fire, the effects died out, leaving not-so pleasurable memories and freezing mortification.

"Oh my god. Oh my fucking _god_!" I repeated, my voice changing pitch every so often. I couldn't believe what I had done. I had not only _flirted _with the _Doctor_, but I also, pretty much, tried to _jump_ his bones. "Shit, shit, shit! What have I _done_?" I groaned out, burying my head into my hands while my cheeks burned red in shame. _Stupid fucking lust drug. _Next to me the Face of Boe tried not to laugh, but a small amused chuckle escaped him. "Shut up," I muttered into my hands.

While I sat in a numbed, embarrassed stupor, the Doctor had finally made progress with the computer. " Car Four Six Five Diamond Six — it still registers!" The Doctor announced excited. "That's Martha. I knew she was good. Novice Hame, hold that in place." Jumping back from the screen, he handed her a piece of thick tubing. Once she got it, he ran along its length, jumping over a box with blinking green lights and buttons that suddenly came to life. The Doctor muttered out loud, "Think, think, think. Take the residual energy, invert it, feed it through the electricity beds."

"There isn't enough power," Novice Hame stated, concerned about the Doctor's plan.

"Ah, you've got power!" He argued. The Time Lord reached his destination: a far wall with two screens, lots of wiring, and even more buttons. Quickly, he went to work, adjusting nobs and pressing buttons. "You've got me! I'm brilliant with computers, just you watch." Turning around, he yelled out an order at Hame, getting more excited, "Hame, every switch on that bank, up to maximum!"

Nodding the cat woman turned towards the bank and did as told, flipping every switch in sight upwards. Dropping down to lay on the floor, the Doctor rotated a knob on a console, aiming the sonic screwdriver at it as well. "I can't power up the city," he stated as he worked. "But all the city needs is people." Excitedly, he hit his fist against the console and jumped back up.

"So what are you going to do?" Hame asked.

"This!" The Doctor exclaimed. He flipped a long, yellow switch to the floor, and instantly, with a mechanical groan of the machines, all the lights on the consoles went dark "No, no no no no, no!" He cried out in disappointment, glancing around at the dead screens. Kneeling on the floor again, the Doctor brought the consul to his lap with the tubed wires draped around his body and he ripped the consul open, starting to wave his sonic screwdriver at the mass of thin wires inside and tweaking the controls in an to get the power back on. "The transformers are blocked. The signal can't get through."

"_Doctor…_" The Face of Boe called out.

The Doctor dismissed him, too focused on the task at hand."Yeah, hold on, not now.

"_I give you my last …_" He stated, his odd phrasing catching my curious attention. The ace released a long, rasping breath, and instantly every console switched in the room back on. The computers hummed with power, the lights blinking brightly. I turned to the big Face, seeing him slum as if exhausted. Fear struck me like ice as I realized what he'd meant by _his last_- the last remains of his energy that had kept the Motorway alive for so long.

"No, no, no," I protested, slapping my hand against the glass. "Nope, you are _not _dying. Nope, won't let it happen." In my mind I heard Boe chuckle, though it was weaker and more distant.

The Doctor ripped the tubing off his body and leaped up to his feet again. His expression shifted, suddenly illuminated. "Hame, look after him!" He ordered, running towards the yellow lever. The nurse dashed to the giant tank, adjusting a few nobs beside it, which I assumed were like his IV's. "Don't you go dying on me, you big old face. You've got to see this." Again, he flicked the huge switch down with a large, excited grin on his face. "The open road. Hah!"

The computers and consuls whirled and whined, sending power to the gates above the motorway, opening them to let the people into the old city cate above. Pocketing his glasses, the Doctor searched through a pile of wires. After a few seconds, he lifted an old microphone connected to a screen in the wall and a transmitter. He soniced it and the screen in front for a second before he started to speak into it.

"Sorry, no Sally Calypso, she was just a hologram. My name's the Doctor," he informed the masses on the Motorway.

"He's a magician." I heard a familiar voice belonging to a cool cat man state happily, the sound coming from some speakers among the consuls. Muttered voices and cries of happiness of the freed people flittered through the speakers as well

The Doctor continued on, "And this is an order, Everyone drive up. Right now."

"Is he serious?" Brannigan asked, and I heard Valerie laughed in stunned disbelief, but it was a happy laugh of stunned disbelief, as if she had just gotten the surprise of her life.

"I've opened the roof of the motorway," the Time Lord informed them. "Come on. Throttle those engines. Drive up. All of you, the whole under-city. Drive up, drive up, drive up! Fast!"

"Here we go."

"We've got to clear that fast lane," the Doctor said. "Drive up and get out of the way." His eyes scanned the screen in front of him and he suddenly called out. "Oy! Car Four Six Five Diamond Six! Martha! Drive up!"

Martha's excited yell came through the speakers next. "That's the Doctor." A heavy weight seemed to be lifted off my shoulders as I heard her voice. She seemed alive and well, thankfully. I released a breath of relief, grinning a bit.

"We can't go up!" some man protested. "We'll hit the layer!"

"Just do as he says!" Martha ordered quickly, not taking any of his shit. "Go up!"

"You've got access above!" the Doctor told them. "Now go!"

For a few moments later there was silence from the car Martha was trapped in. Then. some woman exclaimed in awe, "It's daylight! Oh my God. That's the sky, the real sky!"

"He did it!" Martha nearly shouted with joy. "I told you, he did it!"

"Did I tell you, Doctor?" Brannigan added in "You're not bad, sir. You're not bad at all!" Laughter of joy followed his words, as he also cried out vicotirously, "Oh, yee-hah!"

I chuckled, shaking my head at the cat's antics. Swinging the microphone in his hand, the Doctor moved across the room, passing the Face and me, and jumped up a few steps to the window. He leaned against the seal, sunlight streaming onto his smiling face, as he looked out. "You keep driving, Brannigan, all the way up!" He said, "'Cause it's here, just waiting for you. The city of New New York. And it's yours."

Curious to the few, I rose to my feet, leaving the Face of Boe in his jar and Novice Hame who hurried adjusted and turned the wheels by the Face. Standing beside the Doctor, I looked out of the window, blinking at the brightness of the light. When my eyes finally settled, I was met with a truly gorgeous — everywhere, cars rose out of the dark, foggy under-city and flew around abandoned, glittering skyscrapers. Even though the city had died, I had a feeling it would not remain that way for long. Now, the city-state had people and light like it once did, turning these ruins of an old memory into a foundation for a new, new world. One that would hopefully last for a long, long, time.

"And don't forget—I want that coat back," the Doctor stated. Frowning, I was about the rip the microphone away from the Spaceman to tell Brannigan that I wanted my bag back as well, like the Doctor had apparently forgotten. Before I move, he added quickly, as if he'd just remembered something. "And Anya will want her bag back too." I nodded, _damn right I do._

Over the transmitter, he responded, "I reckon that's a fair bargain, sir."

The Doctor nodded. Then he said, "And Car Four Six Five Diamond Six, I've sent you a flight path. Come to the Senate."

"On my way!" We heard Martha's response.

"It's been quite a while since I saw you, Martha Jones," the Doctor grinned. He turned away from the window, coming face to face with me. Seeing me, the Doctor jumped back, dropping the microphone to the floor and lifting his hands upas if he could block me. "A-Anya, he stuttered, eyes wide with surprise as he gave me an uneasy smile. "I didn't notice you had moved, especially since someone didn't tell me," that last part came out as a mutter while he sent an accusing look towards the Face of Boe.

"Oh, relax," I snapped, realizing why the Doctor was acting like this. He thought I was going to jump him, _again._ "I'm not going to do...anything to you."

The Doctor lowered his hands and raised a question brow. "You aren't?"

"No! Why would I?!" I hissed, narrowing my eyes at him. "The only reason why I did..._that_..." heat rose to my cheeks while I had to avoid looking away from him in pure embarrassment, "was because of that fucking lust drug. It's worn of now, thank _God." _I sighed, nervously shifting my feet and glancing around to look at every where but _him. _"Um...I-I...just wanted to say that I'm _s-so_,_ so, so _sorry," I stuttered out, slowly picking up speed as I talked and adding in wild hand movements, "...about the whole...trying to...ahhh...jump your bones...thing...I was just...messed up in the head...really _fucking_ messed up...all because of that stupid fucking lust drug...and I was not...thinking...at all...it was the drug...and I was just..."

"Yeah," the Doctor interrupted, just as awkwardly. His eyes shifted throughout the room, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. "Um..it's...alright? I can't really blame you for..._that..._It was...

"The drug," we stated at the same time, glancing at one another. There was a brief pause that we spent just looking at each other.

Then, at the same time, we both looked away, bringing even _more _awkwardness into the small space between us. "So, are we...good?" I asked slowly.

"Yeah," the Doctor answered. "We're...good."

"Okay than," I agreed.

The silence that settled was so thick and awkward, it was almost an tangible pressure between us. It seemed the sharpest knife couldn't slice through it.

But, the sound of glass cracking could.

"Doctor! Anya!" Novice Hame called out in concern.

We both turned to see the nurse kneeling next to the big face, and the cracks slowly spidering through the case that contained our friend. Immediately, the Doctor's face fell. I looked at the spreading cracks, shifting uncomfortable at the sight of them for a reason unknown to me. Eventually I had to tear my eyes away as the cracks spread, splintering the jar. A shattered sounded a few seconds after I turned away, followed shortly by a large thump. When I finally balked up enough weak courage to turn back, the sight of the Face of Boe laying on the floor, surrounded by wires and broken shards of glass, met me. I moved closer slowly, coming to kneel one side of him while Hame kneeled on the other side, still doing her job by tending to him.

"Oh, Face," I said softly, reaching out a hand to touch him comfortingly. He breathed shallowly, and even though every part of me not wanted to doubt the truth, I knew he was dying, just like he'd predicted he would all those years ago in the hospital. Movement to my side altered me to the Doctor's presences. The Time Lord had moved to kneel by the big Face, too.

Distantly, the sound of feet against tile drew closer and closer, until the abruptly stopped. "Doctor?" Martha's voice called out. By the sound of it she wasn't too far away. "Anya?"

"Over here." The Doctor answered, alerting her to our presence in the next room over.

"Doctor!" She said, excited as she started to run towards. "What happened out there?" The instant she entered the room to find us all crouching beside a giant face, she stopped and her expression changed from relieved happiness to confusion."What's that?" The medical student asked.

"It's the Face of Boe," answered the Doctor. "It's all right. Come and say hello. And this is Hame. She's a cat. Don't worry." With her mouth open in shock, Martha approached the Face of Boe slowly. The Doctor admitted, "He's the one that saved you, not me.

Novice Hame said, softly, "My lord gave his life to save the city." As I continued to slowly stroke the Face in comfort, Martha kneeled next to Novice Hame, starting at the dying head with reverence. "And now he's dying."

"No, he's not," I protested quietly. "I'm not letting him die on me. Nope not happening." My feeble protests only earned a soft, fond, and amused chuckle from the Face.

"No, don't say that," the Doctor said. "Not old Boe. Plenty of life left."

"_It's good to breathe the air once more._" The Face commented, his gravelly voice weaker.

"Who is he?" questioned Martha.

The Time Lord hesitated for a moment, glancing quickly at me and then Martha. "I don't even know." He admitted. Looking back at me, he inquired, "Do you, Anya? You did talk to him for a little bit."

I shook my head sadly. "I don't know either. The bastard wouldn't tell me. He likes being all mysterious and shit. Barely told me anything, except for some good advice and advice I will never use," I gave a pointed look to the Face. His lips twitched in a barely there smile.

The Doctor gave the pair of us an odd look, not really understanding. "He's old and mysterious," he agreed. "Legend says the Face of Boe has lived for billions of years. Isn't that right? And you're not about to give up now."

"_Everything has its time_," the Face countered the Doctor."_You know that, old friend, better than most._" His eyes shifted to mine, giving me a meaningful look. "_And I'm afraid, dear one, it is a lesson you will come to understand well._" I frowned, not even bothering to question what he meant, since the jerk wouldn't answer me straight, even though inquires screamed in my mind along with obscenities at what that...warning could mean.

"The legend says more," Hame added.

"Don't. There's no need for that," the Doctor said quickly.

The nurse ignored him and continued. "It says that the Face of Boe will speak his final secret to a traveller." She looked at the Doctor, meaningfully.

"Yeah, but not yet." He nearly glared at her. "Who needs secrets, eh?"

"_I have seen so much._" The Face of Boe stated. There was something in his voice, something far off and distant while his eyes glazed over in memory. Probably he was remembering all those things he'd seen in his life. People do say your life flashes before your eyes when you're about to die. "_Perhaps too much. I am the last of my kind — as you are the last of yours, Doctor._"

"That's why we have to survive." The Doctor replied. He seemed absolutely desperate, so much that I turned my gaze from the Face to look at the Time Lord in concern. He obviously did not want this at all, didn't want his old friend to die. The way his eyes grew dark, I could just tell that Boe's death was reminding him all too much about the deaths of his own people. "Both of us. Don't go."

Realizing that the inevitable was quickly approaching, I turned back to Boe, my heart aching with each of his shallows breathes."Yeah, don't leave," I stated. Once again I was shocked by the rawness of emotion in my voice, how quiet, heavy, and broken with sadness and fear it sounded even though I struggled to not make it sound like that. It seemed like the stupid, dying Face could bring out what I truly felt. "_Please._ Don't...die. We just met."

"_I must._" He said. "_What did I say before? Don't worry. We'll meet again, and we'll have the best of times. Until then, be amazing and kicks ass like I know you can. For me. See ya later, beautiful." _A strangle noise escaped me, something that sounded like a cross between a laugh and a cry. Because of that I earned several odd looks. They started at me like I was laughing or crying at nothing. Apparently, the Face of Boe had only projected the good-bye to me, which only caused me more pain. Boe then looked to the Doctor allusively. "_And know this, Time Lord. You are not alone._"

Pure shock burst through my nerves as I spun my head towards the it had seemed as though the Doctor would weep, but _now_ — his expression was astounded. Blankly, he stared, uncomprehending, at the Face of Boe. We all watched as the Face closed eyes for the last time. Martha looked on with respect, and next to her, Novice Hame began to sob. I, myself, tried not to cry, even though I could feel tears pricking the corner of my eyes.

After a moment of silence, Martha stood, the first to one too. Next, the Doctor got up after a moment, pulling me up with him. As I just looked at the Face, the Doctor brought us to Martha, where he quickly put an arm around each of our shoulders, hugging us to his body. I didn't even try to push him away, taking the comfort where I could get it because I certainly wasn't going to admit I needed it when I really did.

Sadness weighed heavily on me. Sure, I had just met the guy...face, but that had not been quite true for Boe. He knew me, and he knew me very well. That was obviously clear. His words, all of them, from the advice to the not quite a good-bye, struck me and invoked so much within me. Although I wanted to bawl because of the Face's death, I knew he wouldn't want me to (and that he probably find some way to slap me if I did), just by remembering his good-bye.

_See ya later, beautiful._

* * *

When Brannigan, Valerie, and their kids showed up to give the Doctor back his coat and me, my bag, we ended up hitching a ride with them back to pharmacy town. They had happily agreed to doing such, more than grateful to us for unlocking the Motorway for them which they had shown clearly, like when Brannigan ran up to the Doctor and place two big kisses on his cheeks. I laughed at the Doctor's startled expression, until Brannigan did the same to me.

Most of the ride, Brannigan and Valerie had spent talking with Martha, happy to meet the woman the Doctor and I had jump through smog for. I spent my time with the kittens, playing with them and fawning over them. At some point I mentioned getting a cat to the Doctor, who'd remained silent and pensive for most of the trip.

He said no.

I, then, gave him my best pleasing 'sad eyes.'

He said maybe.

Overall the trip was short. About ten minutes, instead of ten years, which I thought was a big improvement on the a glorious good-bye from the family, they dropped us off near Pharmacy Town, per the Doctor's instructions since that's where he parked the TARDIS. It wasn't too long until we walked back onto a familiar, dirty street lined with green stands, each one taped and bordered off with signs that read _'closed until further notice.' _For the sake of...everybody I hoped was code for _until the end of time itself. _Although some part of my was disappointed to see the vendors had vamoosed as well. I wanted to give that selling bitch with the drugs a piece of my mind for what she did to me.

The Doctor walked towards on stand, scrutinizing it with narrowed eyes. Nodding, he walked back towards us, informing us the stand's statues, "All closed down."

"Thank God," I muttered.

"Happy?" Martha asked.

"Happy happy," the Doctor replied, his phrasing making my grimace. Stupid vendors and their stupid drugs. Martha gave a short, soft laugh. "New New York can start again," he said." And they've got Novice Hame. Just what every city needs — cats in charge! Come on, time we were off."

Shoving his hands into the pockets of his coat, the Doctor started to walk away. While I started to follow him, Martha stayed put. She called out, "But what did he mean, the Face of Boe?" At her words, the Doctor halted unexpectedly, and I nearly ran into him. Thankfully, I didn't this time, unlike in the Royal Hope Hospital. We both turned around as Martha clarified, _"__You're not alone_."

"I don't know," the Doctor answered. _Bullshit,_ I mouthed at him with narrowed eyes. Oh the bastard was lying, _again_. It wasn't good for him, or Martha if he continued to lie.

"You've got me." Martha told him with a small smile as she walked towards him. After, a paused, she corrected half-heartedly. "And Anya. Is that what he meant?"

_Nope, not at all,_ I thought. When the Face of Boe had first spoken those words, I never really tried to think about them, too wrapped up in his death. But on the ride back to Pharmacy Town, I was given a moment to think more about the Face had said, not only to me, but to The Doctor as well. _You are not alone. _For some reason those words struck me like everything else Boe had said. Those words caused my head to throb with a beat and a thrill of familiarity to rush through my nerves. I could tell they were important, and they were, especially the meaning of them I had figured out.

_You are not alone. _

Four simple words that suggested the Doctor was not alone. The he was not the last of his kind. That somehow, somewhere, there was another Time Lord, or Lady. The mere thought of that possibility (more so impossibility) was startling.

The Doctor shook his head, the edges of his mouth curling upwards in a false was a kind of terrible smile. "I don't think so," he said, "Sorry."

"Then what?" The medical student asked, nearly snapping at him. Her smile had fallen, along with a tense atmosphere of awkwardness and avoidance, where Martha was trying to dig up the truth, the Doctor was dancing around it, and I was playing the role of an awkward statue stuck in the middle of them, not wanting to get involved in their struggle. I was practically Switzerland in World War 2.

"Doesn't matter," he brushed her question aside. I winced, seeing anger twist Martha's expression at the Doctor's dismissal. "Back to the TARDIS, off we go."

As the Doctor turned away and began to head off again, I stayed perfectly still while Martha snatched up a fallen chair that had been abandoned next to her and pull it up. She plopped down on the seat primly, folding her arms and glaring at the Doctor's back. Hearing the commotion, the Time Lord turned around again. He asked her, "All right, you staying?"

"'Till you talk to me properly, yes," she snapped. "He said "last of your kind." What does that mean?" The medical student persisted.

"It really doesn't matter," he insisted, trying to appear all flippant as if the topic wasn't something to waste time discussing about. He was trying very hard, too hard.

Martha stated angrily, "You don't talk. You never say! Why not?" It took every once of my self-control not to slap them. This game of persisting and avoiding was getting old. It was pointless, and I was starting to realize it might not end until someone else throws in the ultimatum.

"Because it doesn't matter," he repeated the pathetic lie. He suddenly pivoted his feet to look at me. "Anya, don't you think it doesn't matter," he asked me, his eyes pleasing with me to go along with the lie.

"No," I answered sharply, completely fed up with all this shit. "I think it's very important, especially to you." As the Doctor's eyes widened in surprise at my answer, Martha opened her mouth, probably to say something like 'see', but I didn't let her say a word. "But I also think it is important for you to explain in your own time. When you're comfortable. Talking will help, but only when it's not because of persistent questioning,"

I glanced meaningfully at Martha. Still looking at her, I began again, "You do deserve the truth. You have a well deserved entitlement to it, but let it come to you." Sighing heavily and allowing all the annoyance I have about this awkward situation to slip into my voice, I glanced in between them, "Because honestly, this shit is getting old and I'm fucking tired of it, I bet you guys are too. So do something about it, wether it be talking or waiting."

With a huff of air, I ended my rant, feeling satisfied at the sight of the Doctor and Martha both looking away, shiftiness awkwardly while they took what I said to heart. Good, because it would have sucked if that awesome speech went to waste. Seconds of silence passed before we finally heard something break it- the sound of music rising. We all looked upwards, straining our ears to hear. A collection of voices, belonging to the new New New York citizens, drifted towards as from the new glimmering city. Once again they were signing this soft little hymn, only this one was about receiving help in the darkest of times to rise once again.

"It's the city," Martha whispered, completely enchanted. "They're signing."

"It's beautiful," I softly whispered.

The Doctor said nothing. He just looked at Martha, his focus clearly lost in his mind. Although it seemed like he was struggling as if caught in-between the devil and the deep-blue sea. It took me only a guess to figure out what he was struggling with him. Then he glanced at me, and after a moment, he seemed to have come to a decision, remembering what I'd ranted before. "I lied to you," he admitted, catching Martha slightly off guard. But as soon as she realized what he was taking about, her attention zeroed in on him. "'cause I liked it. I could pretend. Just for a bit, I could imagine they were still alive, underneath a burnt orange sky."

Trying to be some kind of comfort and support since I knew how difficult this was for him, I patted his arm. He continued on, "I'm not just a Time Lord. I'm the last of the Time Lords. The Face of Boe was wrong. There's no one else.

Shaking her head slightly, Martha asked tentatively, "What happened?"

The Doctor swallowed, as if something caught in his throat. Then, he leaned over to grab two discarded chairs and set them in front of Martha. As we both took a seat, the singing continued around us.

"There was a war," he said, leaning his elbows onto his knees. "A Time War. The last Great Time War. My people fought a race called the Daleks, for the sake of all creation. And they lost. They lost. Everyone lost. They're all gone now. My family, my friends, even that sky. Oh, you should have seen it, that old planet." He gave us a small smile, his eyes growing deeper with a bittersweet remembrance. "The second sun would rise in the south, and the mountains would shine. The leaves on the trees were silver, and when they caught the light every morning, it looked like a forest on fire. When the autumn came, the breeze would blow through the branches like a song..."

He described everything with an artist's careful detail, painting the perfect picture of his old home in our minds. Although, I didn't have to imagine what it looked like, unlike Martha. The image of that burned sky, shinning suns, and gleaming Citadel was permanently engrained within my mostly empty memory space. Even though it was not my own memory, it was like I could feel everything. The heat of the suns, the tickle of red grass brushing against my ankles, the pull of the wind, the sound of stories, much like the one the Doctor was sharing, but in a complicated language that was so familiar. They were so old and so ancient, originating from the beginning of time and stretching across the stars till the very end of all.

They were as beautiful as the song rising upwards while the Doctor continued to tell us a tale of how he began so long ago.

_Fast falls the eventide  
The darkness deepens  
Lord, with me abide  
When other helpers fail  
The darkness deepens  
Lord, with me abide._


	13. Daleks in Manhattan: Lowest of Low

**Fellowship of Avengers: Yep we are. ;) I'm glad you are happy to help, considering how much I need it some times. :) And it is always appreciated. Oh yeah, and you gotta love _writing _a jealous, ****possessive, and protective man. ;) Nope, he does not realize it, especially since lots of things (everything) just flies over his head. Yes, they are supposed to sound familiar. ;) Me too, although it's not quite 'asking' permission. Almost? XD Yeah, Novice Hame 'believes' him too. ;) it is sad. I don't think you tried very hard. ;D A very, very risky deal, but he was a bit desperate at the moment (although we all know he was secretly enjoying it XD). He is adorable. ;3 Yes, Boe _definitely_knows Anya, and that friendship will be explored later. They enjoy it because they're mysterious jerks, and because it's fun to frustrate people like that ;) That is some useful advice that Anya needs listen to, all of the advice ;) Poor, poor Anya. I'm so mean to her. Sadly, Boe has to die, :( All things must end. Yeah, it is awkward. It's very sad. Yep, the Doctor can be full of bullshit sometimes. Yes, Switzerland. The Doctor really does need a hug sometimes. It was a good hymn, very pretty.**

**The Yoshinator: I'm glad you liked Jack's advice. I had _so_ much fun writing him. I cannot wait till Utopia and Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords. I have big _big _plans for Jack's and Anya's friendship, especially during those episodes. Bits of their friendship was hinted at last chapter. I'm glad you like her reaction once the drug wore of. :)**

**Virginia I: I'm glad you enjoyed it! Oh yeah, Anya definitely would have kicked some ass if the drug peddler was still there. That would be horrible, I'm so glad it doesn't happen in real life. In a story though...;) Thanks! I'm glad you've enjoyed it.**

******Thanks to everyone that has reviewed, favorited, or alerted.**

* * *

**Chapter 12:**

**Daleks in Manhattan:  
Lowest of Low **

_Living the low life, hey, that sounds like my luck. I get the short end of it.  
_- Imagine Dragons

* * *

The TARDIS landed with a bang, a groan, and a starting to become familiar wheezing sound. Slowly, my eyes opened and my hands loosened their impossibly tight grip on the railing of the consul. As we'd started this new adventure I had foolishly thought that maybe, _just maybe,_ the Doctor's driving skills would steadily improve and that _this _time I wouldn't have to clutch onto a stationary railing to avoid being thrown about.

I could always wish and hope, but I would always be let down, apparently.

As a wave of nausea fluttered through my system but thankfully did not settle (that would have been embarrassing), the Doctor stepped back from the consul with a grin of excitement on his face and a gleam in his eyes at the information displayed on the scree of the consul about our new location. He adjusted the lapels of his blue suit. For some reason he'd decided to change his suit, claiming the other smelled too much like 'smog.' He'd decided that right after informing Martha and I of another 'extension' on Martha's stay in the TARDIS. The Doctor claimed it was a '_I'm sorry I lied to you and let you get kidnapped' _gift, but I saw through the bullshit. He wanted Martha to stay, only subconsciously it seemed. I personally thought it would be great if she stayed.

Martha, not looking a gift horse in the mouth, happily and excitedly agreed to the extra trip. Though already I could tell this trip was a bit different from the lasts few. No longer did Martha badger the Doctor with invading questions; no longer did the Doctor distance himself emotionally. It was progress, something I was happy (mostly relieved) about it.

The Doctor picked up his brown trench-coat from the pilot's chair next to my bag. Shrugging it on, he raced towards the doors, but Martha beat him there. With a loud squeak the door opened and Martha was already making her way outside. Deciding not to bring my bag along this time, I quickly followed the Doctor out the door, shutting it behind me. Wind blasted into me as soon as I stepped onto the green grass, blowing my loose hair out of my face and filling my nose with a briny smell.

It should have been expected considering the mass of water stretched out before us, filled with sailing ships. Overhead birds squawked loudly. On the other side I could clearly see the well-known silhouette of an equally well-known city—buildings of stone, metal, and brick, reaching towards the blue sky above and full of bright lights. With a smirk tugging at my lips, I immediately recognized where the Doctor had brought us.

_New York, the original Big Apple. _

"Where are we?" Martha asked, looking around.

"Ah!" The Doctor cried, grinning exuberantly and shoving his hands into his pockets . "Smell that Atlantic breeze. Nice and cold. Lovely." He commented, slowly turning around. "Martha, Anya, have you met my friend?"

Giving him a slightly suspicious look that was more playful than my usual ones, I turned slowly, following his line of sight upwards. The iconic Statue of Liberty stood above our heads. She looked exactly like she did on the postcards, a green woman in flowing robes, cradling a tablet in one arm while the other reached upwards with a bright torch held in hand. Briefly, wondered how long she'd been standing there, how long had she acted as a symbol of freedom and patriotism.

Grinning, I answered him, "Yes, I have. Lovely woman."

"Is that—Oh my God!" Martha gasped, and then laughed in delight. "That's the Statue of Liberty!"

"Gateway to the New World," the Doctor nodded in confirmation. His grin widened at both of our reactions. The he began to quote a poem I recognized as the one scripted on the Statue itself. "Give me you tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…"

"Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" I finished the stanza, holding up one arm as if I was the one holding the torch, mimicking in the same pose as the Statue.

Seeing my apparently amusing display, Martha grinned at me while the Doctor clapped, nodding his head with a small smile. He seemed impressed, and honestly so was I. As it was turning out, the plethora of information and trivia left in my mind was turning out to be kinda useful. While I gave them a small bow, so similar to the one I did in front of an audience with Shakespeare at my side, Martha glanced up at the statue again. "That's so brilliant," she stated, "I've always wanted to go to New York." After a pause she correct, "I mean the real New York, not the new, new, new, new, new…"

"new, new, new, new, new, new, new, new, new, new York," I continued on with the proper amount of 'news.' "That's a mouthful," I commented, twisting my lips in an unpleasant expression.

The Doctor spun on his heel, and after we'd turned around as well, we began walking forward towards the edge of the small island. Our eyes were set on the Manhattan skyline across the water. "Well, there's the genuine article," the Doctor informed us, and then gave us a bit of trivia he had somewhere in that large brain. "So good, they named it twice. Mind you, it was New Amsterdam originally. Harder to say twice. Now wonder it didn't catch on. New Amsterdam, New Amsterdam."

"Better than 'New' times 15 York," I said.

"Touché."

"I wonder what year it is," Martha stated. Suddenly she pointed towards the tallest building directly in front of us, which was also very familiar and iconic, even thought it was not complete just yet. "Cause look, the Empire State Building's not even finished yet." True to her word, the top of the building was covered in construction, the top floors missing.

The Time Lord said, "work in progress. Still got a couple floors to go, and if I know my history right." While the Doctor stood still, trying to calculate the date we'd landed in, Martha wandered off a bit to pick up a discarded newspaper laying on a nearby bend. Unfolding it, she made her way back beside me. "That makes the date somewhere around—"

"November 1, 1930." I interrupted, looking over Martha's shoulder and reading out the exact date nicely printed under the newspaper title, _New York Records_.

"You're getting good at this," the Doctor said, a small smile in his voice. Though the smile dropped as soon as he looked over his shoulder to see me glancing down at the newspaper. "Oh, I outta know you cheated," he commented.

"I did not!" I immediately defended myself, narrowing my eyes at his accusation."I just used my surrounding resources very well. Like you use your knowledge. I just leveled the playing field a bit."

"You cheated," he stated, firm on his position in this argument. "You always do, like in the hospital."

Of course, I was not going to back down from him, especially when I was _right. _Shifting slightly, I faced him directly, "Again, using resources."

"Again, cheating."

"I did not cheat."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did too."

As the Doctor and I barraged each other back and forth, Martha stood to the side, struggling not to laugh at our display. Biting her lip, trying to keep back a laugh and a smile, she stated, "That is enough, children." Though it was only an attempt; amusement dripped from her voice.

The Doctor and I, pausing our quarrel, looked at Martha with the same offended look. "He/She started it," we both stated, turning to glare at each other again.

I paused for a second, thinking. "Actually Martha started it," I amended and pointed to the paper she still held. "She was the one that got the newspaper in the first place."

"Don't bring me into this," the medical student pleaded, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Too late."

She rolled her eyes good-naturedly before looking back down at the paper. "1930," she repeated the current year. Eighty years ago." While the Doctor took the paper from her hands to study it himself, Martha looked at the skyline again. She commented, "It's funny 'cause you see all those old newsreels in black and white like it's so far away, but here we are. It's real. It's now." I nodded my head in agreement, smiling at her words. The medical student let out a laugh and we both turned towards our Time Lord guide. "Come on, you. Where do we go first?"

The smile on my face faltered at the sight of the serious, contemplating look the Doctor now supported as he studied the paper. "I think our detour just got longer," he muttered, showing us the bold headline of the news.

"_Hooverville Mystery Deepens,_" Martha read out loud as I groaned and squinted at the information printed below the headline, reading it. _As reports of disappearances from the city's_ _Hooverville_ _flood in, should there be cause for alarm, or is this an elaborate hoax aimed at the city's municipal government? _Of course, there's a mystery. There's also one where ever we go. Well, that's what you get when you travel with a magnet for trouble (_cough_—theDoctor—_cough_). And because of that same reason, I just had a feeling that there should be cause for alarm. Something weird was happening, and we were about to be found in the middle of it, as life with the Doctor goes. "What's Hooverville?" Martha asked, confused.

"Where we're going next," I answered her as the Doctor folded the paper and placed it in his trenchcoat. "So how are we getting there?" I instead questioned. Looking at the Doctor expectantly, I stated, "You are our chauffeur."

The Doctor opened his mouth to answer, but paused for a moment, contemplating my words. "_Chauffeur,_" he repeated, and then inquired,"_Chauffeur_?"

"What?" I shrugged, confused to why he couldn't understand. It was a simple connection. "You drive us around places we want to go to, rather poorly though. You're practically a chauffeur, or a taxi driver, only with a multidimensional blue box, and with locations like 1930 or Naboo."

For another moment, the Doctor was silent. He opened his mouth as if to argue, but nothing came out, since I was right. One-hundred percent right and true. "I-I've never thought about it like that," he finally admitted. I smirked widely and he rolled his eyes. "Anyways, how would you like to go on the ferry. A trip to New York is not complete without a ferry ride."

"Sounds good to me," Martha grinned.

"Sure," I said.

With a smile, the Doctor stated as he began to walk away. "Come on then, you'll miss it if you two keep talking. I'll leave ya behind." He kept talking, steadily moving farther and father away while Martha and I stayed in place.

"Do you think he would actually do that," Martha asked me.

"Nah," I replied with a grin. "He couldn't. Solving suspicious Hooverville mysteries and running away from what, or who, ever he pissed off would not be as much fun. Besides how could _anyone _leave behind all this," I stated, gesturing to the both of us.

Martha laughed loudly. "Very true. Although, we should hurry up, just in case."

"Yeah, that's a good idea."

* * *

As predicted, the Doctor did not leave Martha and behind, even though we did take our time walking to the awaiting ferry. Though the sight of a slightly frustrated, impatient, waiting Doctor was very amusing to Martha and me. He'd been standing at the entrance to the ferry, tapping his foot on the ground while looking all over for Martha and I. His expression was twisted into a hilarious combination of irritation and impatience that I'd laughed at for ten years. During the whole ride, he'd complained about how we almost missed and how we should have hurried and blah blah blah and other things I didn't pay attention to since I was too busy watching the passing views.

After getting of the ferry ride we technically didn't pay for (thank God for psychic paper), we made our way through the busy streets of an older New York towards Central Park that rested in the middle of the city.

Red leaves crunched underneath our feet as we walked along the pathway, one of the many sounds surrounding us like the distant noise of the lively city, the ring of bicycles that passed us by, and the Doctor's voice, who was busy answering the question Martha had asked on Ellis Island.

"Herbert Hoover, 31st President of the USA, came to power a year ago," the Docotr informed us. "Up till then New York was a boom town, the Roaring Twenties, and then…"

"The Wall Street Crash, yeah?" Martha supplied. "When was that?"

"1929," I said. "The Crash started the Great Depression, an economical downfall that originated in the US and spread like a disease around the world."

The Doctor nodded. "Both of you are correct. After the Crash, the whole economy wiped out overnight. Thousands of people unemployed. Suddenly the huddled masses doubled in number with nowhere to go. So they ended up here in Central Park." He gestured towards our green surrounding.

"What?" The medical student question, as if she could believe people would do that. "They actually live in the park? In the middle of the city?"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," I stated sadly, while the Doctor just gave Martha a look.

It wasn't soon after that we arrived at Hooverville, known to us by the sign that was placed at the beginning of the...town? Was that the right word of what we saw? It could be considered more like a ghost town with the ramshackle appearance of the place. Hastily made structures of abandoned scraps you would find on the side of the road clustered together in crooked rows with lines of dirtied, worn clothing strung in-between. There were so many tents, they were almost stack on top of one another. Heavy smoke-filled the air, rising from the drums of fire scattered across the place. Some people huddled at the drums for the warmth of the fire and the people around them, some walked or limped around, some stayed by their make-shift homes, but all of them had the same look—gaunt, grimy faces, with eyes hollowed by emptiness and weak shoulders that sagged under the pain, sorrow and hopeless that seemed to permeate the air here as easily as smoke. This place seemed like a ghost town for a simple reason—it was full of ghosts, haunted by the struggling times.

To my horror and pain, I saw a child—a little blonde girl, thin and filthy like the rest, run past us. Like the others, she too appeared dirtied and thin. After that I had to turn away, the pain and suffering threatening to consume me, along with the horrified fact that it was not only adults that were struggling and starving, but _children._ Though it seemed I was not the only one to feel the effects. Martha looked as if she were ready to cry at any moment.

"Ordinary people," the Doctor began to explain as we walked through the town. "Lost their jobs. Couldn't pay the rent and they lost everything. There are places like this all over America. You only come to Hooverville when there's nowhere else to go." Martha and I remained silent, unable to say anything. What could you possibly say about it?

"You thievin' lowlife!" Somebody yelled. Shortly after that, the sounds of fighting quickly reached us. I winced as the sound of a fist meeting flesh echoed back to us. At the sounds of an altercation, people surged forward to watch, including us. A few men broke from the small crowd that had formed to try to separate the two men exchanging punches and insults, although they weren't that successful. "You stole my loaf!" The first fighting man cried, with a punch to the other's stomach.

"I didn't touch it!" The other exclaimed.

In the background of the fight, an older black man emerged from a tent, donning a hat. He strode towards the small quarrel, ordering loudly, "Cut that out!" The two men ignored him and kept on fighting. The man continued forward until he stood between them, shoving them apart. "Cut that out! Right now!"

"He stole my bread!" The first man accused, glaring and pointing a finger at the other man.

The older man quickly ordered, "That's enough!" He looked the second guy, asking calmly, "Did you take it?"

"I don't know what happened," he said, glaring at the first guy. "He just went crazy." Hearing the denial, the first man lunged forward with an angered cry, although he was held back.

"That's enough!" The older man stated. More residents gathered around to see. He turned towards the white man and said to him slowly, "Now think real careful before you lie to me."

The man looked down, clearly ashamed. "I'm starvin', Solomon," he admitted. The man in the hat, Solomon, held out his hand expectantly with a silent order. Reluctantly, the man reached under his coat and pulled out the stolen bread, handing it over to Solomon. As soon as the bread was revealed, a chorus of disappointed comments and grunts arose from the surrounding crowd.

"We're all starvin," Solomon stated, breaking the loaf in half. He handed each man a piece. The first man, the original owner of the bread, didn't look too happy with the arraignment. "We all got families somewhere. No stealin' and no fightin'. You know the rules." He pointed at each man, then looked out to the crowd. "Thirteen years ago I fought in the Great War. A lot of us did. And the only reason we got through was because we stuck together! No matter how bad things get, we still act like human beings. It's all we got."

I nodded in agreement with the man, and felt some relief that he was here. It was clear that he was the leader of sorts in this organized chaos, trying to keep the peace among the people, trying to keep the people reminded that even though times where hard they did not need to dissolve into anger and violence, trying to keep everyone human.

With the end of Solomon's speech, the people began to depart, since the 'show' was over. "Come on," the Doctor suddenly stated, bumping Martha with his shoulder. He walked forward towards Solomon, and we followed. "I suppose that makes you the boss around here," he said to the man in question when he caught up.

"And, uh, who might _you_ be?" Solomon asked, looking at us curiously. He assessed us, realizing we were new by our clothes and unfamiliarity.

"He's the Doctor. I'm Martha. That's Anya," Martha introduced us, pointing to each person in turn.

I waved a little at Solomon, to which he returned with nod. Then he set his sights on the Doctor. "A doctor. Well, we got, uh, stockbrokers, we got a lawyer," he scoffed, nodding towards some men that sat around. He admitted, "But you're the first doctor. Neighborhood gets classier by the day."

"How many people live here?" Martha asked as Solomon moved over to a fire pit. He held out his hands over the fire, next to a pot hanging over the flames.

"At any one time, hundreds. No place else to go. But I will say this about Hooverville. We are a truly equal society, black, white, all the same. All starving." He let out a short laugh. "So you're welcome. All three of you. But tell me, Doctor, you're a man of learning, right? Explain this to me." He walked a little ways and then pointed up towards the Empire State Building, clearly seen through the trees. "That there's going to be the tallest building in the world. How come they can do that, and we got people starving in the heart of Manhattan?"

Nobody provided an answer, most likely because we didn't really have one. We could speculate, but we truly did not have an excuse or reason for all this pain and suffering around us. The only thing I could come up with was pride and greed. Thanks to the information left in my mind, I knew the Empire State Building was actually created for a contest to see who could create the tallest building in the world, which it actually won. It would make sense that what drove men to create the tallest building, also drove them to cause the crash of the stock market that started everything. Solomon walked off while we stayed along with the silence.

Martha broke through it with a question that reminded us of why we where here in the first place. "Hey, do you think Solomon would know anything about the disappearances?"

"It's possible," I said. "He's the boss, as the Doctor said."

The Doctor nodded in agreement. "Let's find out." When we caught up to Solomon, he was throwing some coffee dregs onto a fire. Reaching into his coat, the Doctor pulled out the newspaper he stashed away earlier and began to unfold it. "So…men are going missing. Is this true?" He asked, holding up the paper for Solomon to clearly see.

Solomon approached the Doctor, taking the paper from him. After looking at it for a moment, he admitted, "It's true all right." He headed into his tent, and not wanting to be rude, for once, the Doctor remained outside, standing at the opening of the tent with Martha and me behind him.

"But what does missing mean?" The Doctor continued to question. "Men must come and go here all the time. It's not like anyone's keeping a register."

"C'mon in," Solomon gestured towards us as he took a seat on his cot. The Doctor snagged a seat beside Solomon while Martha and I sat down on some crates across from him. Almost wearily, Solomon took off his hat and held up the paper to his face, squinting at the information printed. "This is different.

"In what way?" asked Martha.

"Someone takes them. At night," he explained, glancing between his guests. "We hear something. Someone calls out for help. By the time we get there, they're gone. Like they vanish into thin air."

The Doctor leaned his chin onto his hand, watching Solomon. "And you're sure someone's taking them?" He inquired.

"Doctor," Solomon looked at the Time Lord, a small sardonic smile quickly showing and fading on his harden features. "When you got next to nothing, you hold on to the little you got. Your knife, blanket—"

"A bag," I quietly interrupted, though by the looks I received I apparently had been heard. The Doctor was curious, Martha was confused, and Solomon was understanding, which made sense. I understood the sentiment to holding the only thing you have left very well.

Solomon nodded at me, and then continued, "You take it with you. You don't leave bread uneaten, fire still burning."

"Have you been to the police?" Martha inquired, unwittingly.

"Yeah, we tried that. Another deadbeat goes missing, big deal."

"Are are police just...incompetent," I muttered, thinking back to the Judoon and the non-existent police force of New New York.

The Doctor rubbed his ear, not liking how everyone had given up on those people, writing them off because they were poor, "So, the question is, who's taking them and what for?"

"Solomon," somebody suddenly cried. A young man burst into the tent, his eyes immediately finding the black man. "Solomon, Mr. Diagoras is here." He informed us, his voice tinged with an accent, southern I believe.

At the news, Solomon shot to his feet, grabbing his hat before he headed out of the tent.

"Who the hell is Mr. Diagoras?" I asked.

"Dunno, let's go see," the Doctor stated.

We followed Solomon out of the tent, and emerged in a crow of people who were gathering around three men, each one wearing a clean dark suit and hat, looking out of place among the dirty and thin. The man in the middle stood on a crate and spoke, addressing the crowd, while the other two flanked him, standing silently and intimidatingly. I figured the man in the middle was this so-called Mr. Diagoras. "I need men," He was saying to those gathered before him. "Volunteers. I got a little work for you and you sure look like you can use the money."

"Yeah. What is the money?" The boy, who had retrieved Solomon, yelled out.

"A dollar a day," Diagoras replied. His answer earned several grumbles of disappointment, a few men were shaking their heads. Not that I could blame them, that amount of payment (or lack of it) didn't make me want to volunteer either.

"What's the work?" Solomon questioned.

"A little trip down the sewers," Mr. Diagoras explained, cries of disinterest immediately sparked at the prospect of having to go down in the sewers. "Got a tunnel that collapsed needs clearing and fixing. Any takers?"

The group laughed sarcastically and muttered complaints. Apparently, not even they were desperate enough to take on a job like that. A small portion began to trickle out, deeming the job a waste and deciding Diagoras and his sales pitch wasn't worth their time. Solomon commented "A dollar a day? That's slave wage. Men don't always come back up, do they?"

Diagoras just shrugged uncaringly at the sentiment, not even bothering to assuage any concerns. "Accidents happen."

That response caught the Doctor's interest."What do you mean? What sort of accidents," the Doctor inquired, scanning the man with intellectual scrutiny.

"You don't need the work? That's fine. Anybody else," Diagoras shouted, dismissing any concerns. The Doctor raised his hand and, seeing it, the man sneered, "Enough with the questions!"

"Oh, n-n-no. I'm volunteering. I'll go." The Doctor explained. Martha and I shared a look, silently communicating our dislike of what we were about to do. Sighing I thought, _the things we do for this man._ Together we raised our hands slowly, glaring at the Doctor.

Martha spoke low enough that only the three of us could have heard her, "I'll kill you for this."

"I'll gladly help her," I added.

The bastard just smiled in amusement.

"Anybody else?" Diagoras asked. Two more people reluctantly lifted their hands as well, Solomon and the kid from earlier. Diagoras surveyed about for anymore volunteers, but upon seeing no one else was about to leap at the chance, he jumped down from his perch. "Alright you lot, follow me." He pointed towards us and then stalked forward, his two meaty cronies still flanking him.

And so we did as told and followed after the man through, although most of us were less inclined to do so. The Doctor grinned the whole way. While Martha and I lagged at the back of our little crowd, the boy next to me caught my attention as he extended his hand outwards, "Hi. The name's Frank."

Reaching out, I shook the offered appendage. "Anya. Nice to meet you. This is Martha and the Doctor," I pointed towards my companions.

"You too," he smiled, giving a nod towards Martha, who smiled.

There wasn't much time for conversation. All too soon, one of the cronies was handing out supplies like flashlights, shovels, and rope as we stood around a manhole just outside of Central Park that led into a sewer below. One by one we climbed down into the sewer, and just as Frank jumped down from the ladder, Mr. Diagoras gave us our next set of instructions. "Turn left. Go about half a mile. Follow Tunnel 273. Fall's right ahead of you. You can't miss it."

Holding up a flashlight, I followed Diagoras's line of sight down the old winding archaic tunnels. The tunnel gleamed under the light, shining because of the layer of water and sludge covering the stone walls and floor. Water dripped haphazardly onto the floor and everywhere, making everything wet and slick. My nose wrinkled as it detected a gross smell, I didn't bother trying to figure out what it was. Disgusting. Mr. Diagoras's voice, slimly like our surroundings, echoed off the slightly curved walls. It wasn't the only sound in the tunnels; there was also the drip of water and the scuttling of creatures in the dark. I thought it was rats, but for some reason that conclusion did not quite sit right with me.

"And when do we get our dollar?" Frank asked.

"When you come back up," Diagoras said.

"And if we don't come back up?" The Doctor watched the man wearily.

"Then I got no one to pay." I frowned, watching Diagoras, not liking the way there seemed to be a smug smile just itching to curl his lip. He was an asshole. He didn't care about us, or any one that worked under him. He was just concerned with the progress of work, and how it kept his pockets full of money. It was men like him that caused the Crash, caused the suffering so tangible in Hooverville.

"We'll be back," Solomon promised, shining his flashlight into Diagoras's face.

"Let's hope so." Martha muttered.

Turning away from the asshole, we began to make our way down the tunnel, leaving the Doctor behind although he caught up to us a minute later. Frank said to Martha and me, "We just gotta stick together. It's easy to get lost. It's like a huge rabbit warren. You could hide an army down here." Frank glanced around with a little awe at the immensity of the complex.

"So what about you, Frank?" Martha questioned, clutching her jacket close to her chest. "You're not from around these parts, are you?

"Oh, you could talk." He snorted, while I grinned at his response. It was clear that Martha and the Doctor were not from America, thanks to their accents, which was the same way I could tell Frank had to be from the south. "No, no, I'm from Tennessee, born and bred," he informed us.

"So how come you're here?"

"Uh," Frank paused, before he admitted, "My daddy died. Mama…couldn't afford to feed us all. So, I'm the oldest, up to me to feed myself, so put on my coat, hitched up here on the railroads. There's a whole lot of runaways in camp younger than me. From all over; Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas… Solomon keeps a lookout for us."

Listening to Frank's story, I looked at him with concern, not able to help the frown from tugging at my lips. He was young, barely eighteen at the most, and having to live alone during this time. His statement about children, younger than him, living and starving in Hooverville, pained me. Although, the light in the pitch dark situation was Solomon. Knowing that he was looking out for all the lost children gave me some amount of peace. At least there was someone to help them. When Solomon looked back at the mention of his name, I gave him a smile.

"So, what about you?" Frank questioned Martha in turn. "You're a long way from home."

**"**Yeah, I'm just a hitcher too," Martha said.

He nodded, and then looked at me. "And you, Anya? You seem a bit more local."

"Yeah, I am," I lied with a soft smile. Any questions about where I was truly from were pushed away from my mind in an attempt to keep them away along with an ill feelings or thoughts that could spark from them. I didn't need them. "But I'm hitcher, like you and Martha. The Doctor's our chauffeur, you could say, although he is a _horrible _driver. The worst." Frank laughed while Martha nodded in agreement. Picking up some of the conversation, the Doctor glanced back at me; I blew him a kiss with a smirk, which only caused him to glare and Martha to giggle.

"You two stick with me, you'll be all right," Frank promised. I smiled at him, saying nothing, although I was already making a silent vow to keep an eye out for _him _instead. He was a good kid, and I wanted to make sure nothing happened to him.

"So this Diagoras bloke," the Doctor began to ask Solomon, "who is he then?"

"And why is he such a bastard?" I continued the line of question with an important one of my own. What? It is a very valid inquiry.

"A couple of months ago, he was just another foreman," Solomon explained. Now it seems like he's running most of Manhattan."

"How did he manage that, then?"

"These are strange times," Solomon shrugged. "A man can go from being King of the Hill to the lowest of the low overnight. It's just for some folks it works the other way 'round."

"Whoa!" The Doctor suddenly halted, causing us all to stop. Martha and I pushed our way passed Frank to see exactly why the Doctor stopped.

The light of the Doctor's flashlight shined down onto a slimly blob lying on the ground, making it glow with a sickish green hue. Eww.

"Is it radioactive or something?" Martha questioned, her nose scrunching in disgust. The Doctor set his flashlight to the side and crouched down, along with Martha. I remained standing by Frank and Solomon, who were confused and disgusted by the blob as well. Martha gagged, as if she was about to retch, and quickly covered her mouth and nose. That was way I stayed a good distance from the blob. "It's gone off, whatever it is."

The Doctor put on his black glasses; he then picked up the blob and brought it closer to his face, squinting at it with scrutinization. "And you've got to pick it up," Martha commented, her expression conturing with disgust as the Doctor handled the object that squished and slid within his grasp. Then he took a sniff.

"And now you've got to smell it," I stated, watching on with part curiosity of the blob, part amusement of the Doctor's actions, and part disgust of the blob _and _the Doctor's actions.

"Shine your torch through it," he told Martha, and she did as told. He reported, "Composite organic matter. Martha? Medical opinion?"

"It's not human," she answered, "I know that."

"Anya? Artist opinion?"

At the unexpected address, I raised a brow at him, pointing a finger at myself with a silent question. _Me? _He nodded. With a shrug, I squinted at the blob. "It looks like some weird mutation between a brain and a jellyfish. It could be a failed experiment or something. It's not supposed to be out here, though."

Solomon and Frank were so confused. The poor guys.

"Both have good points," the Doctor agreed. He then rose to his feet, Martha following. "And I'll tell you something else. We must be at least half a mile in and I don't see any sign of a collapse, do you? So why did Mr Diagoras send us down here?"

Tension stiffened the air as the innocent question with an unknown and probably not so innocent answer led all of us to the same realization. Frank and Solomon looked up, shining their lights along the arch of the tunnel, as if searching for the collapse still. It wasn't there.

"Because he's a bastard," I offered an answer.

"So where are we now?" Martha asked, looking upwards. "What's above us?"

"Well…" the Doctor paused, calculating how far we'd walked and our current location within, or rather beneath, the city. "We're right underneath Manhattan," he said, shining his flashlight upwards.

Frank sighed and moved forward. He suggested, "Might as well keep goin'. Could be up ahead aways. Maybe we missed it." He wasn't quiet ready to believe that we were trapped down here with a possible danger still unknown to us.

"Well, come on then. We ain't gonna get much done standin' round," Solomon stated as he took the lead of our little pack. The Doctor placed the green blob in one of the outside pockets of the trenchcoat, to Martha's disgust. She just shook her head at him and marched forward, following Solomon.

For a little while longer we continued through the tunnels, following their winding path. I looked along the walls, searching for the supposed 'collapse' we were getting paid to fix. Because of that, I didn't see where I was going and tripped over a pipe that stretched across the tunnel.

With a squeak, I squeezed my eyes shut, mentally preparing myself for the pain of landing on the wet ground, but it never came.

Instead of a hard, wet floor, I collided with something soft and warm that quickly enveloped me. Fabric scratched against my cheek as a pleasant scent of mint, wood, and something ineffable replaced the dank smell of sewers. For a moment I remained absolutely still, waiting for the fall and pain. When it didn't happened, I opened my eyes to find my face pressed against a very familiar brown coat.

Another squeak escaped my lips and my eyes widened as I stumbled backwards, trying to get away from the Time Lord who caught me. I held up my hands in between us. Heat flushed my cheeks as I glared at him, alarmed.

The bastard just looked down at me, concerned. "You need to watch where you are going, Anya. Wouldn't want you to trip and hurt yourself."

"I was watching!" I argued. "I'm not going to get hurt."

"Really?" He questioned with a raised brow. I answered with a sardonic noise to which the Doctor rolled his eyes at. He started forward again and I made faces at his back, much to the amusement of Frank and Martha.

We continued on through the sewers, and like expected we did not come across any collapse.

Eventually, Solomon threw his hands into the air in frustration as we came to another of many intersections, "We're way beyond half a mile. There's no collapse, nothing."

"That Diagoras bloke, was he lying?" Martha asked.

"Looks like it," the Doctor said with a frown.

I rolled my eyes, "What a shocker."

"So why did he want people to come down here?" Frank questioned, confused and not really following our line of logic.

"A trap?" I supplied.

"Solomon," the Doctor turned to face the man, "I think it's time you took these three back. I'll be much quicker on my own."

At the decision made without me, rebellion and anger quickly sparked within me. I immediately stated, "No! I'm not leaving." I glared at the Doctor, not about to let him decide what I will or will not do. He had no control over me, and needed to learn that, especially since I wouldn't shyly back away. The Doctor rounded on me, opening his mouth to argue, but he never got the chance.

A loud squealing reverberated down the tunnels, the sound bouncing and echoing off the walls. My eyes widened at the sudden noise as I spun around with my flashlight, trying to figure out where it had come from, trying to figure out _what _had caused it. That sound...it just wasn't human, and the fact I didn't known _what _was here, lurking int the dark with us, sent a frightening chill through me.

"I was right, it's a fucking trap," I muttered with a groan.

"What the hell was that?" Solomon asked quietly, his whole body tense.

"Hello?!" Frank shouted out into the darkness, loud enough the world and beyond could hear. The boy must have naïvely thought that whatever had made that noise was friendly and not at all dangerous or bloodthirsty. I, unfortunately, did not have that same hope.

"The fuck, dude?" I questioned him, my voice quiet and biting.

Martha freaked as he gave away our current position, "Shh."

"Frank," Solomon reprimanded him quietly, agreeing with us about shouting out in a sewer where something might be ready to kill you.

But the boy wasn't having that, too virtuous for his own good. "What if it's one of the folk gone missing?" He defended. "You'd be scared, half-mad down here on your own." Thinking about what he said, I nodded in agreement. I couldn't even imagine what it would be like to be trapped down here, all alone in the cold, in the wet, in the dark...Shivers trembled down my spine at the mere thought.

"Do you think they're still alive?" the Doctor asked, watching him carefully.

"Heck, we ain't seen no bodies down here," Frank said. "Maybe they just got lost."

More squealing echoed through the tunnel, the sound seemingly loud as if what ever the creature was, was going closer and closer. We all spun around with our lights, searching through the wet and dark for it. Solomon stated, "I know I never heard nobody make a sound like that."

The Doctor started to walk down one tunnel, more squeals sounding loudly. "Sounds like there's more than one of 'em," Frank said.

"This way," the Doctor stated, apparently having pinpointed the source of the noise. He tried to usher us forward. My ears strained to hear the noise. I frowned as I turned towards the source, thinking it to be from the tunnel opposite of the one the Doctor was walking down.

"No, that way," Solomon argued, his light shinning down another tunnel.

I glanced at Martha beside me, seeing that she was looking down the same tunnel as me. We both froze when her light caught something in the dark. "Doctor…" Martha whispered, her voice quivering slightly. I squinted, trying to make a more details of the hunched figure illuminated by the flashlight. It seemed to be a man, crouching on the floor and leaning against a wall, but I couldn't make out any other details. Seeing the figure as well, the Doctor rejoined us.

"Who are you?" Solomon cautiously called out to him.

He didn't respond.

"Are you lost?" Frank continued to question, his voice full of compassion. "Can you understand me? I've been thinkin' about folk lost…"Slowly he started to walk forward, but the Doctor stopped him.

"It's all right, Frank. Just stay back. Let me have a look," he ordered the young "He's got a point, though, my mate Frank. I'd hate to be stuck down here on my own."

My eyes widened in surprise when I heard the man response with a small screech of fright. The Doctor paused, his movements slowing. "We know the way out," he pressed on, cautious. "Daylight. If you want to come with us." Once he reached him, the Doctor squat down so that they were at eye level and shinned a light onto his face. The light revealed not a normal face of a man, but one of a pig, complete with a round nose and tusks protruding from its mouth. This time, my eyes nearly bulged from my head at the sight. That was not natural, so I couldn't help but wonder what had happened?

"Oh, but what are you?" The Doctor asked softly.

"Is, uh, that some kind of carnival mask?" Solomon asked hesitantly, not wanting to really believe the sight of the creature in front of him.

"No, it's real." The Doctor said, and then he turned towards the pig man. Softly, he stated, "I'm sorry. But listen to me. I promise I can help." Dark, looming shadows fell across the wall in front of him, slowly growing in number and size, but he didn't notice, too focused on helping the poor creature in front of him. "Now, who did this to you?"

"Doctor," Martha warned, "I think you'd better get back here." Suddenly fear iced my blood as more pig-men filled the opposite end of the tunnel, although these did not look poor and helpless like the one we'd found. The opposite, actually. They looked fine, and as if they wanted to rip us apart. Already I was backpedaling, standing behind Martha, Solomon, and Frank; the distance between me and the pig-men was steadily growing. Martha nearly shouted, "Doctor!"

At her cry, the Doctor shot to his feet. "Actually…good point." Slowly, he backed up towards us, and, sadly, the pig-men followed him.

My heart pounded, constrictively tightly in my chest. Ice burned in my nerves and filled my lungs. I struggled to breath as I watched the pig-men advance, starting at the snarl of their lips, the sharpness of their tusk, the malevolence of their eyes.

Instincts kicked into full gear, powered by icing fear and blinding self-preservation. With a statement of _nope_, I resorted to cowardliness, turned on my heel and took off down the tunnel we'd came, ignoring any startled cries of my name, not needing the guilt they would cause me.

Water splashed as I ran away, the sound filling my eyes along with the beat of my racing heart. Soon I heard the hurried footfalls of people behind me. Apparently, the Doctor and company decided to run as well, which probably meant the pig-men where following them. Just, great!

I raced through the tunnel, turning sharply at every intersection, not really knowing where I was going. "Anya!" the Doctor suddenly cried from behind me. I didn't turn around, too focused on getting away. Although, his voice sounded close, not too far behind me. "Turn right at the next intersection."

I did as told, making a sharp right. At the end of the tunnel I saw a ladder, immediately understanding why the Doctor had told me to turn right. Quickly I ran towards it, every part of my mind focused on getting to the ladder that led to my freedom.

My mind was _so _focused, it didn't even register the wet ground I slipped on and the ankle-high pipe blocking the way until I was falling over it, hard.

This time there was no Doctor to catch me.

My body collided with the wet ground harshly; air was squeezed from my lungs from the force I landed onto my front. Wind rushed through my ears and distantly I heard something crack. I skidded across the ground slightly, the concrete scraping against my hands and cheek. Though the slight burn of scratched skin was nothing compared to the agony that consumed my left ankle. "Son of a bitch!" I screamed out in pain. Tears stung my eyes as I shifted my body, trying to get back up. "Fuck," I muttered, continued to curse underneath my breath as my nerves were sent alit in pure agony and surprise. As one my body groaned out, but I continued to move, pushing through the pain to get onto my hands and knees.

The ice of fear mixed with the burn of pain as I heard pounding footsteps draw closer and closer. "Damnit," I hissed, squeezing my eyes shut and feeling a few tears slip.

"Anya!" The Doctor yelled. More footsteps, and then suddenly, a hand was gripping my arm. Quickly, the Doctor lifted me to my feet and as soon as the slightly pressure was applied to my ankle I let out a soft cry. Immediately, I tried to muffle it, not wanting the Doctor to hear it. Since he didn't say anything I assumed he didn't.

He held me for a moment longer, trying to make sure I was steady. After that, he let me go and raced towards the near by ladder, fishing out his sonic screwdriver. He hurried up the latter, sonicing the lid that blocked the way out. The sound of more running behind me made me realize the others couldn't be too far behind, along with the pig men. Gritting my teeth, I tried to run to the ladder, only to falter at the sudden peak of pain. Then I tried walking, quickly, and found that task easier, but not without its own pain.

"Fuck, damnit, son of a bitch, shit" I chanted curse after curse in pain underneath my breath as I made my way towards the ladder. I gripped the rungs tightly, leaning most of my body against it in attempt to relieve the pressure against my hurt ankle. Over my head, the lid unlocked with a click and the Doctor quickly pushed it aside. He shimmied his way out while I began to climb the ladder as quickly as I could. Hearing movement, I looked down and behind me to see Martha running up to the ladder, getting on it as well.

"Come on," the Doctor said down to me.

"I'm comin'!" I hissed at him, ignoring the pain I felt to move quicker. Once I got to the top, the Doctor grabbed hold of my hands and dragged me through the hatch. I collapsed next to hatch, trying to catch my breath as Martha climbed out.

"Frank!" I heard Solomon call out. Curious, I shifted my position and moved towards the hatch so I could look down into the sewer. Solomon quickly made his way up the ladder, but I didn't see Frank. _Where was he?_ I thought with heavy concern.

Once Solomon was out, he turned back to the hatch along with the Doctor. Frank suddenly appeared at the bottom of the ladder. The boy began to climb it quickly, the squeals of the pigs getting louder and louder. The relief I could have felt at the sight of Frank was quickly diminished at the sight of the pigs swarming around the bottom of the ladder "C'mon, Frank! C'mon!" Solomon yelled down at him, holding out a hand for him to grab.

"Come on!" the Doctor said, reaching down towards him.

"Frank!" I cried out, offering up my own hand as well in attempt to help. As the pig-men advanced and grabbed onto Frank, the boy reached up and took hold of the closest hand to his—mine.

Hurriedly, I clasped his hand with both of mine, trying to hold onto him despite any scream of pain my body gave. The Doctor reached forward, grabbing onto Franks other hand in attempt to keep hold of him as well. "Shit! Come on, Frank, just hold on," I tried to encourage him, squeezing his grip with mine, tightly. It seemed all the blood was rushing out of my hand with force I held onto him. "You're gonna be okay, we're gonna get out of this."

The pig-men continued to tug him down; I only held on tighter.

He looked up at me, a flash of fear lighting his eyes. My lips spread in a small, false smile, one that was meant to give hope and security, almost as if the words I was speaking had a sure chance of being true. "Remember, you'll be alright, as long as we stick together." I stated, thinking back to what he'd promised, and what I'd silently determined. At that, he did smile slightly with a nod. My grin spread, only to fall as his grip on my hand loosened.

More pig-men assembled, grabbing onto Frank's ankles and continued to tug him down, down, down. "No!" The Doctor called out, feeling both our grips slipping. Pain flared as I shifted forward and tried to hold on tighter. They were not getting Frank, not if I could stop it.

Apparently, I couldn't.

"Frank!" I screamed as he was yanked away from my grasp.

I nearly dived back into the sewer and the fray, determined to get Frank back, but the Doctor grabbed hold of my waist and pulled me back. Solomon then shoved us both aside and slammed the lid shut, leaving not only the pigs trapped below, but Frank as well.


	14. Daleks in Manhattan: Show Goes On

**Fellowship of the Avengers: Oh yeah, definitely. ;) I could tell you didn't try. ;) Yep. Yes they do. Oh yeah, the Doctor's driving skills will _never _improve. Looks like Anya and Martha are stuck with them, unfortunately (for them) XD A trip to New York would be awesome. Yes, they are perfect for each other...if they would just hurry up and realize it! Chauffeur is ****surprisingly one of the most accurate descriptions of the Doctor. ;) Yeah, the Great Depression was an awful time. The Doctor really needs to watch himself, especially since a companion is more likely to kill him than a Dalek if he keeps pulling stuff like that. ;) Frank is so cute and sweet, a good little country boy. It's horrible what happened to him. :(**

**The Yoshinator: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. I had to give the scene a little more impact since it really does have an ****impact on Anya, that is explored more in this chapter. Lots of things are going to happened because of her hurt ankle, not only in the rest of this episode, but the next few as well. ;)  
**

**ussenterprisee: Thank you! I'm so glad that you have enjoyed it so far.**

**hoffling: Thank you so much. I'm glad you liked my idea and explanation. I can definitely understand how that would bother you, since it can bother me at times to. Going into this story, I really stuck with this angle of how Anya is not supposed to be there, which has several different meanings that will be revealed in time. I also just wanted something different, something that does set Anya and this story apart from other OCs and stories, one way I decided on was by immediately recognizing and actually _stating _the fact that she is not supposed to be there and that will change the canon, a lot in certain places and not so much in others. And I'm so glad that you like the idea! That makes me happy! :) Hopefully you'll continue to enjoy the story.**

**Lady Shagging Godiva: Thanks! I've read several different OC DW fics as well, and have noticed how most of them do that. Starting this story, I really tried to avoid doing the same by coming up with all original lines for my OC, by providing more descriptions, and by adding scenes that connect the ones in the episode and original scenes as well. I am so glad you enjoyed the Gridlock chapters! They were a joy for me to write. And I will admit, at first I was struggling with writing that episode. That was until after brainstorming with a friend we came up with the idea of the lust drug and the possible effects it could have on Anya. From there it was easier and so much more fun and amusing! I will definitely be throwing in more romantic interludes and hints between them, actually I will be putting in as many as I can. It _will _take a while for the Doctor and Anya to actually 'get together', since I personally believe a romance with an OC in this point of the Doctor's life has to be slow and gradual, especially since he _just _lost Rose, (I am certainly keeping to the canon about their relationship, unlike some fics I have read). A slower romance is just...more believable and I'm really trying to make this a good, believable story. :) Hopefully you enjoy this next update and the ones to come.**

**********Thanks to everyone that has reviewed, favorited, or alerted.**

**********_A bit of an announcement_: For me school has started up again, so at times it might become more difficult for me to update between school and work. _But, _I will certainly do my best to make the updating more regular and quicker. Also! After the persistence of a dear friend (you know who you are ;), I have, (according to her) _finally, _gotten a tumblr. The url is hallow-bird dot tumblr dot com. (The link on my profile might be easier to use). I will be using it to post updates, covers, info, questions, answers, and anything really concerning any and all of my stories. So, check it out if you want to. Don't be shy! :)**

* * *

**Chapter 13**

**Daleks in Manhattan:  
Show Goes On**

_Reach down your hand in your pocket, pull out some hope for me. It's been a long day, always ain't that right. And no Lord, your hand won't stop it, just keep you trembling.  
_- Matchbox 20

* * *

Quickly, the Doctor released his hold on me as he launched to his feet in order to face off Solomon. I fell to the floor, the weight of the sudden hollowness in me dragging me down. Breathing heavily, I sat dazed for a moment, shock stunning me. The sewer lid clicked shut with a deafening sound that seemed to strike my body with a horrible force.

"We can't go after him," Solomon stated, standing by the hatch. His voice, like always, seemed strong and determined in logic, but the difference from before was the underlaying stutter of fear. Fear that had been absent when he'd commanded over Hooverville. Well, there he hadn't known of the existence of creatures in the dark. That was enough reason to make any normally calm, level-headed man shake.

Though, the Doctor was not taking his logic today. "We gotta go back down!" The Time Lord immediately protested. "We can't just leave him!" He lurched towards the hatch, attempting to get it open so he could go after Frank, but Solomon quickly pushed the Doctor away. Martha placed her hands over her mouth as she backed against the near by wall, still reeling from everything that had just happened.

The angered, scared shouts of the Doctor and Solomon pulled my mind from it's haze, submerging it in the anger that burned in me. Anger at myself, at the pig-men, at the fate of Frank. Honestly, it was not the best decision for me to turn to anger, especially in the already tense atmosphere that was heavy with the loss of Frank. But my only other option was to break down in sadness and overwhelming guilt. That was certainly out of the question already.

"He's just a child!" I growled, shifting my body to a more comfortable position on the floor and ignoring the weight of guilt sinking in my gut at my own statement. "We can't leave him alone with them! You have to save him!" I narrowed my eyes meaningfully at the Doctor and Solomon, knowing that I wouldn't be the one to save Frank. He was gone because of me, because of my cowardliness.

"No, I'm not losing anybody else!" Solomon remained firm. He stood on top of the hatch, blocking the Doctor and I from making anymore attempts to go after Frank. "Those creatures were from Hell! From Hell itself!" He cried, fear clear in his wide eyes. "If we go after them, they'll take us all! There's nothing we can do. I'm sorry." He hung his head and his shoulders sagged. That shut us up; for a moment there was no sound except for the heavy pants of us trying to catch our breaths.

That was until we heard a voice, heavy with an accent (Brooklyn, I thought) suddenly call out,_ "_All right then. Put 'em up." Surprised, my gaze shifted from the previously facing off men to the new comer in the room- a pretty blonde woman, who normally wouldn't be intimidating at _all. _Though currently she was pointing a revolver at us; the harden glare in her eye showed she meant business.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I grumbled, seriously not needing this hold-up _shit _after the shit we just went through. To my right, Martha's hands shot up immediately. The rest of us where not as quick.

"Hands in the air and no funny business," she ordered, cocking the gun. Solomon and the Doctor hesitantly raised their hands; I will admit I didn't bother to do the same, not that the woman noticed. With narrowed eyes she pointed the gun at the Doctor, "Now tell me, you schmucks, what've you done with Lazlo?"

"Uh, who's Lazlo?" Martha asked with a little shrug, confused like the rest of us. We all looked at her oddly, our expression showing that we had no fucking clue about who or what she was talking about. Though I figured it must have been something important to her for her to threaten people a gun with.

Immediately the tough guy—girl act the blonde portrayed was dropped. She titled her head in the same confusion we felt. "So..." she hesitated, all traces of bravado gone. "You have no idea what happened to Lazlo?"

"Not at all," I stated.

"Oh well, I guess I don't need this really then," she replied, jerking the gun sharply. She lowered it, her whole body sagging down with it. A small frown tugged her red lips and her eyes casted downwards, suddenly dark with disappointment and despair.

Clearly noticing that she was in some form of distress, the Doctor stepped closer. _Knight in Shinning Armor, _I thought. The image of the Doctor carrying me bridal style of a chaotic hospital rose to mind, quickly followed by one of the Doctor in actual shining silver armor, riding up to save a damsel in distress on a white horse. Rolling my eyes at my own stupid imagination and hating being reminded how he'd carried me out of the hospital, I quickly pushed the pictures away.

"If you are in trouble, we can help you," the Doctor told the woman. His voice was soft and gentle, trying to coax the woman into sharing information and trusting him. I knew from experience that trusting the Doctor was not the most difficult of things. "If someone you know has been taken, we can help. Somebody we knew was just taken."

My eyes were suddenly full of images—_Frank, clutching onto my hand for dear life. His eyes, such young eyes that had barely seen anything, full with hope for a brief moment before my grip came loose and he was being dragged into the dark with a frightful scream and a shout for help. _The reminder of Frank sent a pang of guilt, so sharp it felt like a dagger right into my stomach. _My fault..._Quickly I shook my head, trying to rid my mind of the sickness of guilt. Thankfully my attention was distracted by the woman answering the Doctor's inquiries.

"Yes, but the prop room is no place to talk," she explained. After hearing that I noticed for the first time how we were surrounded by wooden shelves, stock full of various assorted objects that one would easily find in a prop room. I would know, considering I'd spent quite a bit of time in the prop room of the Globe. "Follow me, we can talk in my dressing room. It'll give us a bit of privacy."

The Doctor nodded in agreement. The woman turned to leave, gesturing for us to follow us. While Martha and Solomon went to follow her immediately, the Doctor approached me with his hands held out and down to where I still sat, slumped agains the wall. For once I didn't fight and didn't need a command; I grabbed onto his offered hands and gripped tightly as he helped raised me to my feet. Nodding in thanks, I went to take a step forward—only to hiss and stumble at the sharp pricks of pain that resonated through the nerves of my leg.

Instantly, the Doctor had his hands back on my body, bracing me. His expression was twisted in concern for me, a sight that was becoming _too _familiar for my liking. I quickly pushed the Doctor's hands away from me with a displeased glare. "I'm _fine,_" I hissed the lie quietly.

"Really?" He stated, disbelief dripping from his voice as he rolled his eyes. I huffed, turning my nose up at his disbelief. To prove my point of being fine further, I raised my chin and marched away from him, managing to hide any pained noise the jarring moments in my ankle created. The sound of the Doctor signing in light exasperation made me smirk in victory.

The awaiting blonde woman watched both of us curiously, before she started to lead our group away. We followed her through a few rows of prop-filled shelves and into a hallway that was lined with boxes and various equipment for lightening, sound, and other effects of a theatre. After a short walk, the woman turned on her heel and opened up a light blue door. Very at home with her surroundings, she strutted right into the room, taking a seat at the cluttered vanity. As we stood at the doorway, politely waiting to be invited in, I looked into the room, taking in the old posters and decorations that plastered the walls (most of them posters announcing the new shows coming soon to New York), the bright lights around the vanity mirror, the stacks of dramatic make-up piled on the vanity, and the glittering costumes and accessories covering almost every available surface. It was very clear to me now that this woman was one of the performers here,

"So who's Lazlo?" I questioned, remembering how we'd never gotten an answer to that question.

She answered, "Lazlo's my boyfriend...or was my boyfriend until two weeks ago." Her expression in unhappiness as she turned to face us, continuing to rant on. "No letter, no good-bye, no nothin'. And I'm not stupid." The gun still in her hand waved about carelessly, the barrel of it moving across us, around the room, at her, and so on. I raised a brow at the last statement, especially since she'd pointed the gun at her own head as she said it. Next to me the Doctor's whole body was tense as a wire, eyes locked onto the moving gun. "I know some guys are just pigs but not my Lazlo. I mean, what kinda guy asks you to meet his mother before he vamooses?"

"It might, might just help if you put that down," the Doctor stated, cautiously pointing at the weapon that was directed at him.

"Hunh?" She questioned, face scrunched. Her eyes widened when they glanced at the gun, as if suddenly realizing its presences. "Oh, sure," she stated and tossed the gun into a nearby chair. Immediately, we all flinched backwards (in my case, jumped and ducked behind the Doctor. I wasn't going to get fucking shot), waiting for the shot that never came. Instead, the gun landed with a soft sound in the mess of soft fabric, no bullets firing out of the end at us. Our reactions caused the woman to laugh. "Oh, c'mon. It's not real. It's just a prop. It was either that or a spear."

"I see why you went for the gun," I stated.

Martha inquired, "What do you think happened to Lazlo?"

"I wish I knew. One minute he's there, the next, zip—vanished." She said, waving her hands about.

"Listen, ah—what's your name?" The Doctor asked as he stepped into the room.

"Tallulah."

"Tallulah," he stated with a nod. Before he could say anything else, she interrupted.

"3 Ls and an H," she specified.

"Right," the Doctor stated, hesitant and unsure what to do with that unnecessary information. He continued, "Um, we can try to find Lazlo, but he's not the only one. There are people disappearing every night."

"And there are creatures," Solomon spoke up from behind me, gaining the attention of everyone. "Such creatures," he repeated, almost haunted. He glanced up and down the hallway, as if expecting for monsters to jump out of the shadows.

"Whaddaya mean "_creatures_"?"Tallulah asked, peeking around the Doctor to look at Solomon.

"Look," the Doctor said. "Listen, just trust me. Everyone is in danger. I need to find out exactly what this," he reached into his coat pocket and brought out the green blob he'd found and licked in the sewers, "is because then I'll know exactly what we're fighting."

"Yech!" Tallulah gagged, leaning back away from the thing in her face.

I asked the Doctor, "How are you going to do that? Find out what that thing is?"

"I can rig up a crude little DNA scan from equipment and objects in the theatre," he explained. "I just need help finding the things I need."

"I'll help you, Doctor," Solomon offered.

"Thank you. We better get moving," the Time Lord said. Both him and Solomon left, the Doctor rambling off a list of items he need as they started down the hallway to begin their search in the prop room, I assumed.

Martha turned to Tallulah. "Do you mind us staying in here?" She asked, gesturing to the dressing room.

"Not at all," Tallulah replied with a wave of her hand. Her head turned and she glanced at a clock on the wall. "Although I'll have to get ready soon for the next show."

"That's fine," Martha smiled. "I'm Martha and this is Anya." She pointed towards me and I waved at the performer, earning a smile.

"Nice to meet ya."

"You too," I replied, moving into the room. Seeing a small couch available, I plopped down onto the costume covered surface. I nearly sighed in relief as pressure was lifted from my throbbing ankle. Martha took a seat by me. "Tallulah, what can you tell us about Lazlo?" I asked her as I leaned back against the cushions, both curious and trying to start up a conversation. "How did you two meet for instance?"

A soft smile replaced the frown that had twisted her lips. Suddenly, her expression wasn't so sad, her skin wasn't so pale as it seemed to glow, her eyes seemed softer, brighter, happier as she began to remember. "It was here, in the theater," she started to tell. "I was just starting out as a singer. I hadn't even really made a name for myself yet. I was like any other Brooklyn girl with a dream to make it to the big time shows. I've always loved preforming, always loved entertaining people, especially now when people need a distraction from the Depression and all that mess. So as soon as I could, I auditioned and auditioned time after time at any lounge or theater I could find.

"After a few failures and rejections, I eventually got a jig as an understudy here. It was after the very first rehearsal, I met Lazlo. He'd been a stagehand here for a while by then, and as soon as the rehearsal was over, he came over to me, completely dazed as if he was in a dream and told me that I was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen and that I'd be amazing singer one day soon." Her cheeks gained color and her smile grew. The happiness of her story was infectious, and Martha and I discovered we could not keep the smiles from our own faces. "Ever since then he's been my biggest supporter. I couldn't make it here today with out him."

"That is so sweet," Martha commented, her smile spreading. I nodded in full agreement. Tallulah's and Lazlo's story...it was just so perfect and sweet. They loved each other so much—and that was clear just by the look in Tallulah's eyes when she just _talked _about him. I was a fan of stories and this one was quickly becoming one of my favorites. It was a story of boy meets girl, a story of achievement despite the lows, a story of love, hope, and light in one of the darkest times in history. How could you not fall in love with that story?

Tallulah rose from the vanity and nodded. Grabbing a sparkling silver costume, she made her way behind the cream dressing screen in one corner of the room. "He was," the singer continued to say as she disappeared behind the screen. The sound of rustling clothes came from the screen. "He was the smartest, kindest guy I'd ever dated. One of a kind and a true gentleman. You can't find many like him these days." A few short minutes later, Tallulah walked out, now dressed in a glimmering, short silver outfit with tassels. She grabbed a silver crown with a halo from where it hung on the corner of the mirror and placed it on top of her curled hair. Sitting back at the vanity, she began to add the finishing touches to her outfit, adjusting her make-up and slipping on jewelry.

"Lazlo…He'd wait for me after the show, walk me home like I was a lady," Tallulah said, her hands busy with putting on earring. "He'd leave a flower for me on my dressing table. Every day, just a single rose."

"All this sweetness is going to kill me," I stated, smiling the entire time.

"Haven't you reported him missing?" Martha asked the performer, standing and walking closer to her.

"Sure. He's just a stagehand. Who cares?" Tallulah replied, dabbing her cheeks with a brush. "The management certainly don't."

"Assholes," I glared. Tallulah nodded in agreement with my statement, smiling amusedly.

"Can't you kick up a fuss or something?"

"Okay, so then they fire me."

"But they'd listen to you. You're one of the stars," Martha stated.

Tallulah smiled almost ruefully, like Martha's naivety was amusing in someway. "Oh honey, I got one stone in a back street revue and that's only because Heidi Chicane broke her ankle—which had nothin' to do with me whatever anybody says," she defended quickly, glancing pointedly between us.

"Alright, we're not accusing you," I held my hands up in surrender, my lips still stretched in an entertained smile. Honestly, I wouldn't doubt the feisty singer's ability to due something like, since she did successfully threaten us with a fake gun, but I knew she didn't. Tallulah wasn't corrupt and power-hungry, unlike most successful people in this time period. There was something honest about her, along with her ambitions and passions.

"I can't afford to make a fuss," Tallulah continued on. "If I don't make this month's rent, then before you know it, I'm in Hooverville" I nodded, seeing her fear of falling into that place. If it was me, I would be doing anything it took to avoid that ghost town of desperation, starvation, and lost hope.

"Okay, we get it," Martha said.

"The Great Depression is called that for a reason," I said, sadly, thinking about all those people and children suffering in Hooverville, about Frank and Lazlo being stolen away into the dark. "It lives up to its name a little too well."

Tallulah looked into the mirror, staring at her reflection, "It's the Depression, sweetie. Your heart might break, but the show goes on and if it stops, you starve." Tossing aside the brush, she stood and faced Martha. 'Every night I have to go out there, sign, dance, keep goin'. Hoping he's gonna come back." Her voice cracked and her eyes filled with so many tears as she broke.

At the first sound of a sob, Martha rushed forward and enveloped the woman in a tight hug. "I'm sorry."

Pushing myself off the couch, I awkwardly hopped over to where they stood. I placed a hand on Tallulah's back, rubbing it softly as she shook quietly. A frown tugged my lips down as we tried to comfort the woman. I couldn't even being to understand what she'd been through. It was commendable really, how strong and hopeful she'd remained in this unfair, hopeless time after losing someone as important as Lazlo. I wasn't sure if I could do the same. "I'm so sorry. You are amazing," I had to express my admiration of her, hoping it could help her keep her hope that was so rare now a days. "Going on and remaining hopeful like you've done. I truly think that if Lazlo loves you half as much as it seems from your story, then he's fighting tooth and nail to get back to you and he _will _get back to you."

Tallulah pulled away from Martha's hug, turning towards me as she wiped the remnants of tears from her eyes. She gave me a smile; I felt relieved and...good, knowing that I'd done something right today. "Hey, you're lucky, though," she said to me while I smiled at her. "You got yourself a forward thinking guy with that hot potato in the sharp suit."

My smile dropped; I looked at her confused, slowly processing what she'd said. "What? Guy in the sharp suit?" My eyes nearly bulged from my head when I realized what, or rather _who _she was talking about. "The _Doctor_? Nooooo...nope...we're not together...at _all_," I quickly explained, my hands rapidly moving around in gestures to help get my point across even more. I didn't get it, why did people think that the Doctor and I were a couple? I thought back to the last time it had happened, in New New York with that seller woman. The same one that had slapped an aphrodisiac on my neck. Heat suddenly started to rise in my cheeks, along with complete mortification, as I tried not to think about that drug and its...effects.

"Oh, sure you are," Tallulah waved my comment off as she pushed past me. I had to keep myself from slapping myself. "The chemistry between you two is the best I've ever seen. And the _tension_ between you two..._wow_ is all I got to say." She grinned widely at me.

I just groaned, shaking my head as even more reminders of New New York fluttered through my mind. _Really? Why me? _I mentally complained. "Just..._n-no_," I stuttered out. "He's not...I'm not...we're just not." I tried to explain to Tallulah as she started to slip on a pair of wings to complete the 'angel' outfit.

She shrugged and commented, "You two should be." Neither one of us noticed Martha cast her eyes downward with a frown. Suddenly, Tallulah paused, glancing back at me. "Oh, I shoulda realized. He's into musical theater, hunh? What a waste."

"What?" I asked in confusion, shaking my head at her misunderstanding. It wasn't a hard concept to grasp. The Doctor and I were _not _a couple. It would _never _happen. Nope, not in a _trillion years._

She never answered, continuing to speak. "Still, ya gotta live in hope. It's the only thing that's kept me going 'cause…look." Tallulah picked up a small white rose from her dressing table and handed it to me. "On my dressing table every day still."

"You think it's Lazlo?" Martha questioned, looking at the rose. I held the small flower gently in my hands, studying intently. A small smile twitched at my mouth as I ran my fingertips over a smooth petal. Leaving flowers...it was one of the cheesiest, but sweetest things someone in love would do.

"I don't know," she replied. "If he's still around, why's he bein' all secret like he doesn't want me to see him?"

"If he is avoiding you," I started, "there must be a very good reason for it."

The signer shrugged and repeated. "I don't know. I miss him though. So much. I wish he would come see me soon."

I placed one hand on her shoulder and smiled. "You never know today could be the day."

Tallulah's smile grew slightly as she looked at me thankfully. Her eyes adverted to the side and suddenly widen. She suddenly announced, "Oh! Only a few minutes to show time!" Without another word, she quickly shuffled into the hallway, her heels clicking loudly. Though, the sound wasn't as loud as her shouting out, "Girls, it's showtime!"

Martha and I moved to stand in the doorway. We both watched as women dressed in red devil's outfits, glimmering just like Tallulah's, strutted down the hall towards the stage with large red feather fans in their hands.

"Lois," one girl was saying to another, "you spoil my sashay tonight, I'll punch you."

With a grin, the other replied, "Quit complaining Myrna. Go by yourself some glasses." I snorted at their banter.

"Come on, honey, take a look," she eagerly grinned at us. "Have either one of you been on stage before?"

"Oh, a little bit," Martha smiled, " Shakespeare."

"How dull is that!" Tallulah stated. "Come and see a real show!"

"It actually was pretty fun," I said, thinking back to that adventure and how at the very end we had stood on stage before an audience with the man himself. "Sorry Tallulah, but I'm gonna sit this one out. I'm gonna find the Doctor. Have to make sure he hasn't destroyed anything."

"Oh alright. Come on Martha." The showgirl reached forward, grabbed Martha's wrist, and began tugging her away, to the amusement of the medical student. Though, by now Martha was probably used to it by now, considering the Doctor did have a habit of grabbing your hand and running.

With an amused grin I watched them follow the continuing line of performers towards the stage. Then, I turned away and began to make my way towards the prop room, looking along the corridors and in every nook and cranny backstage for the Doctor. In the prop room, I'd managed to find his brown coat laying on a shelf, but no Time Lord to go with it. After a few minutes of no luck in finding him, I gave up trying to do it myself and tapped a busy stagehand on the shoulder.

"Can I help you, miss?" He asked me politely.

"Yes, have you seen a man in a blue suit around here by any chance?" I questioned.

Immediately recognition came over his expression. "Is this man tall with brown hair that sticks up?"

"Yes."

"Oh. I just saw him a few minutes ago, heading up towards the balcony. He was carrying all sorts of stuff that were clanking together. One object looked like a brain!" The stagehand explained. "He kept muttering to himself about _capacitors _and _DNA. _There was something weird about him."

"That _definitely _him," I confirmed, earning an odd look from the man. "So how do I get to the balcony?"

He jerked his finger towards the right. "Go up those stairs and it will lead you right to it."

"Thanks." Nodding in appreciation, I began to follow the directions up the stairs, making sure to keep hold of the railing so I could keep more pressure off my injured ankle.

Like the man had said, I immediately found the Doctor once I had reached the top of the stairs and entered the large balcony, that was abandoned for the most part. Dirty sheets covered the bench-like seats and various amounts of left over equipment was scattered about. The Doctor was taking advantage of the empty space and ditched equipment. As I approached, I saw the Doctor stretched onto the tips of his toes, turning on a large stage light. A bright beam shined down onto a crudely made device of some device of some-kind.

I had _no _idea what it was, but I couldn't blame that stagehand for being alarmed by it. It did look very weird. The green blob we'd found in the sewer laid in the center of a box with brightly colored wires protruding from it, twisting and coiling with each other. The sonic screwdriver had been inserted into the device as well in one corner. A faint whirling sound came from it, barely noticeable with the background music that resonated from the stage.

"That's it," the Doctor muttered to himself as the light switched on. "Let's warm you up." He moved out from behind the light to kneel down in front of the device, slipping on his black glasses. Cautiously, he poked the blob and watched it for a moment. "Oh, that's going to take a bit," he murmured to himself, "Needs a few minutes to construct the results." With a sigh, he sat back on his ankles, running a hand through his hair. He clearly wasn't pleased with the fact that he had to be _patient _now.

"What are you doing?" I decided to ask him.

The sudden question caused the Doctor to tense as his head swiveled to where I stood. Seeing it was just me, he relaxed. "Oh Anya," he said simply. "I'm just trying to discover what this thing," he gestured towards the blob, "is. What are you doing up here? Where's Martha?"

"She going to watch Tallulah's show," I explained. "I decided to skip out. Wanted to check up on you, make sure you hadn't destroyed anything. This is a rather nice theater, and I wouldn't want Tallulah to get fired if you messed something up, considering we're her guests."

"Why do you have such a lack of faith in me?" He asked.

"It's not really a lack of faith...just an expectation. You're a magnet for trouble. Things tend to go wrong when you are around; things tend to get destroyed."

"Not all the time."

"But most of the time."

"Eh," he replied, making me smirk since we both knew I was right.

I tried to move forward to get a better look of the blob and device, only to accidentally bang my bad foot against the edge of a bench._ Shit! _I cried out mentally, preventing the Doctor from hearing any pained sound by biting my lip to hold them back. Although, he didn't need to hear anything to know something was wrong. One second he was jumping to his feet; the next he was in front of me, watching my pained expression with scrutinizing eyes.

"You're hurt." This time he didn't even bother asking a question.

None the less, I tried to lie and waved off his unwanted concern. "No. I'm fine."

He just gave me a look that spoke for itself- _you're lying and we both know it. _Choosing not to persist with anymore question I would have answered with a lie as well, the Doctor placed his hands on my shoulders and pushed me into a seat. While I cried out in protest, he dropped to a crouch in front of me, grabbing my injured foot with his hands.

"Hey! Nonono," I immediately began to protest. Trying to get him away, I started to kick at his shoulder my other foot. "Get away from me."

Giving me an annoyed looked, the Doctor said, "I'm trying to help."

"I don't want your _help_," I snapped, annunciating my point with another jab to his shoulder.

"You're injured!"

"_You're _not a real doctor! Have you ever had any proper medical training! Nope! So get the hell away from my foot!" With that I tried to yank the hurt appendage from his hands, only his grasp was too strong. Stabbing sensations of pain consumed my ankle and leg, causing a cry to slip through my mouth this time.

The agony overpowered my will to fight against the Doctor's help, but that didn't mean I was happy about it. I stopped struggling and kicking him and leaned back against the seat, pouting unhappily and looking very much like a petulant child. The Doctor, looking relieved by my cooperation, rolled his eyes at my expression. Then, he looked at the ankle in his hands, studying it. Carefully, he titled my foot back and forth; I winced.

"It's definitely hurt," the Doctor murmured, after a minute or so of testing and observing. "Not broke, but fractured perhaps? It's hard to tell without an X-Ray. Once we get back in the TARDIS, I'll take you to the Med-Bay. Get you properly healed. How did you get injured," he questioned, looking up at me over his glasses.

"In the sewers, while I was running," I muttered.

"Did you trip over a pipe?"

"...yes."

"I warned you about them," the Time Lord chastised me. "You should have payed more attention to them."

Glaring at him, I harshly snapped, "Well, I was a little too busy _running for my life from killer pig-men._"

He ignored my statement. "Still, you should have been more careful. What if you had tripped and the pig-men caught up to you? They would have taken you away, just like they did Frank."

The reminder of Frank crashed into me like a ton of bricks. Suddenly, I felt so cold and hollowed as something heavy caused my stomach to drop. Frank- he was gone because of me. I was the coward that ran away first, the coward that let him slip from my grasp when he was _just so close _to safety. And because of that, of me, he was trapped in the dark endless sewers with the pig-men, god knows what was happening to that poor young boy.

"It doesn't matter now," I whispered bitterly, shaking my head, trying to get rid of those thoughts before they tore me asunder. Frank's gone and I'm here with a shit foot I got from running away. Karma's a bitch."

The Doctor's gaze narrowed at my face. He was doing it again. Looking right through me and my bullshit to what laid beneath. Like always it made me uncomfortable. I shifted and looked away from him, trying to avoid him and those maddeningly deep eyes. Though, they had some addictive quality to them that inspired my curiosity that was continually yelling at me to try to uncover the mystery that surrounded and was the Doctor himself. I couldn't help but to take glances at him from the corner of my eye.

The Time Lord went to say something, but before any words could sound, an alarming _beep _screamed from the DNA device, into the awkward, tense, and dusty atmosphere.

"You should get that," I suggested.

"Right," he muttered in response. Letting go of my foot, he rose to his and moved back to his odd beeping device. He knelt down in front of it and began to work the controls. His fingers ran over the blob while the other hand adjusted the sonic screwdriver. "This is artificial," he reported, though I wasn't sure if he was talking to me, or himself again. Probably the latter.

The voice of an announced crackled over head. He began to introduce the next show, "_Ladies and gentlemen, the Winchester Theater is the talk of the town. And here's the reason why—"_

_"_They genetically engineered it. Whoever this is, oh, you're clever," the Doctor breathed, almost impressed."

"_It's because of Tallulah and the Dancing Devils_ _with Heaven and Hell!"_

The overhead lights suddenly flashed while the cheers of the audience rose. Just as a blast of music erupted, the Doctor glanced over his shoulder to see the sudden changes. Tallulah's voice drifted up from the stage as she started her song.

_You lured me in with your cold grey eyes  
Your simple smile and your bewitching lies  
One and one and one is three  
My bad, bad angel, the Devil and me  
You put the devil in me_

While I listened to the music, enjoying it even though I couldn't see the show itself, the Doctor turned his attention back to the blob. He pulled out a stetchoscope from his suit pocket and placed it on the slightly throbbing blob. After listening to it, he began to mutter, "Fundamental DNA type 467-989. 989 Hold on, that means planet of origin..." He paused for a second, and I watched as his body suddenly tensed. The planet's name left his lips in a disbelieving and an almost..._scared _whisper that I barely heard. "Skaro."

"_Skaro?_" I repeated, my voice just a bit shrill as image after image, information after information of that planet and its inhabitants filled my mind from the Doctor's memories. The Doctor shot to a stand and rushed past me. I scrambled to my own feet in order to race after him, the pain in my ankle fading into an after thought with this new. serious, _terrifying _development.

"Skaro? As in _the _Skaro. _The _planet of the fucking _Daleks?" _I continued to question the Doctor as he raced down the stairs ahead of me.

"_Yes!"_ He nearly shouted at me, voice stretched and tense. "_The_ Skaro. _The _Daleks."

"Well, shit," I muttered as we entered the backstage.

Tallulah's group of backup dancers and the singer herself stood around, conversing with each other. All of them seemed confused and scared for some reason.

The Doctor barreled right through the group to get to Tallulah. "Where is she?" He began to barrage her with questions. Where's Martha?"

"I don't know," the blonde replied. "She ran off the stage."

Before the Doctor could fire another question at her, an ear-piercing, heart-stopping, and unfortunately, _very _familiar scream shook the theater.

_Martha._


	15. Daleks in Manhattan: Final Experiment

**Fellowship of Avengers: You can be very obvious. ;D We can, we need to add it to places we need to visit. They are very dense and thick. As the Doctor said once they are Mr and Mrs. Thick Thick Thickety Thickface from Thicktown, Thickania! ****Definitely. For now? Beware the companions. Accents are the best and in generally very, very sexy. XD Agreed. Thanks :) Yes, I would hope you know how you are. ;D It's hard to be mad at him, it wasn't his fault Frank was taken. It's not Anya's fault either, but of course she thinks it is. Nope, he doesn't believe the stubborn woman one bit. Ikr? Lazlo and Tallulah, they are so cute. I loved them in these episodes. Yes they are. The tension between them only gets worse...well that is until somebody snaps. ;D What's wrong with cheesy and sweet? Nothing! :) She is very stubborn, and it really frustrates the Doctor (and readers). They are amazing, you could just stare at them for forever. Double shit it right. Yes, Martha. She keeps getting kidnapped—it's not a good habit.**

**The Yoshinator: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. I really, really enjoyed watching these episode and that's because of the side characters like Frank, Solomon, Tallulah, and Lazlo. I also really wanted to explore some of them more****—especially Tallulah. It was very enjoyable to do that and to make up her and Lazlo's love story. This chapter features more Tallulah and her ****character, so I hope you enjoy. :)**

**Angel of Randomosity: (Cool name by the way) ****Thank you! It's great that you enjoy Anya and this story so far. Hopefully you continue to love it. :)**

**ElysiumPhoenix: I was cracking up while writing Anya's reaction to the Doctor, so you having a stitch is understandable. ;) I'm glad it's the first time you've read a reaction like that (points for originality ;) Anya is a very special character, so I felt like she needed a _special _reaction to the Doctor. ;)**

**I-Am-Annabel-Lee: The wait thankfully is not _that _long. :)**

**Ahsilaa: Yes, yes she did. **

**HufflepuffsintheTARDIS: Thank you! I'm very happy that you have enjoyed my story so far. :) It's your favorite? Wow, I'm honored. Yeah, there is not that many chapters yet, but it's coming along. Since I'm splitting up the episodes into parts and adding in a few extra chapters between episodes, this fic is gonna get long. ;) You actually don't have to wait longer for another chapter. ;) It's fine. :) You don't sound like one of those people at all. Sure I'll check out your story, it's not a hassle. :) I hope you continue to love the story.**

**************Thanks to everyone that has reviewed, favorited, or alerted.**

* * *

**Chapter 14**

**Daleks in Manhattan:  
The Final Experiment **

_Hope is dead, honey...put this one to rest...note what is in this place when you're caught up in this chase. _  
- MS MR

* * *

At the sound of her scream, the Doctor and I took off running down the hallway towards the source.

The Doctor yanked open the door to the prop room and shot inside, calling out, "Martha." We both looked around and through the shelves with the hopes that maybe, _just maybe,_ she'd gotten away, she was fine...

Any hope I had disappeared when I spotted the crooked lid that led into the sewers we and the monsters had come from. "Doc," I said, slapping his arm to gain his attention. I pointed towards the hatch, and he looked at it with displeased understanding. Heels clacked to a stop behind us; I didn't have to turn around to know that Tallulah had followed us. I just hoped she didn't continue to follow us, considering I definitely knew we were about to go back down into the dark to find Martha, and maybe even Frank.

The Doctor grabbed his coat from where he'd placed it earlier and shrugged it on. Tallulah asked him, "Oi, where are you goin'?"

"They've taken her," he answered gruffly.

"Who's taken her?" She demanded. Although, the Doctor did not answer her. He was too busy pushing against the lid with a screech and then climbing down the ladder.

"Not sure yet," I admitted to Tallulah before I slipped into the catch and began my way down.

"What're y' doin'? I said, what the hell are ya doin'?" Tallulah continued to persist with her questions, getting more and more frustrated and angered at the lack of answers she received. The farther down the ladder I climbed, the harder it was to hear her. Glancing over my shoulder, I watched the Doctor pull out a flashlight and click it on, twisting his head to look down the tunnels that stretched out around us.

In the mean time, Tallulah had found a way to fix her problem by donning a long coat of her own, and following us down.

Hearing the singer climbing down the ladder, the Doctor turned around and immediately began to protest. "No, no, no, no, no way. You're not coming."

"Tell me what's going on," Tallulah demanded, glaring down at him through the rungs.

"There's nothing you can do," he said, "Go back."

"Look," She said forcefully, continuing her descent, "whoever's taken Martha, they could've taken Lazlo, couldn't they?"

He brushed aside her question, stating, "Tallulah, you're not safe down here."

"Then that's my problem," she snapped at him with a meaningful, determined glare. She landed on the sewer floor. "Come on. Which way?" The singer started to walk through the tunnel to the left, going the wrong way.

The Doctor said nothing to her, his shoulder slumping as if he knew he had no room to argue with her and that it would be pointless to. Ignoring Tallulah for a moment, the Time Lord turned to me. "You definitely can't come," he stated in a _no questions asked _voice.

Anger flared and, of course, I immediately began to protest his stupid decision. "Ahhh no. Not happening."

"Yes, happening," he rebutted, and gestured towards the ladder. "You need to go back up. You can't come, especially with that leg," his eyes glance down at the stupid injury.

"Damn my leg," I hissed scathingly, glaring at him with narrowed eyes. "I'm not leaving you alone."

"I'm not letting you hurt yourself any further. It's dangerous down here. I won't lose you like Martha and Frank. There is no reason for you to be here."

"Yes, there is. I'm down here because of the same reason you are: Frank and Martha. I'm not abandoning them or you. Besides my ankle doesn't hurt that badly." For once, I was actually telling the truth. The burst of adrenaline still burned through me, pushing the used-to-be apparent pain away. Hopefully, the small bliss would continue on while we searched for Martha and Frank. I had to go with the Doctor; it was a matter of mostly guilt with a touch of stubborn pride. If we could find Martha, then maybe, _just maybe, _we could find Frank as well and the guilt that continued to bitterly twist through me would finally cease. "Don't argue with me about this; I won't listen to you anyways. So shut up and walk."

At the end of my rant, the Doctor did not speak. We stood facing each other, both glaring intently at the other. Neither one of us moved or spoke, waiting to see who would break and give in first. My anger, pride, and guilt kept me stubborn and staring, not willing any leeway.

I _was _not going to back down.

And eventually, the Doctor realized that and was very unhappy about it.

With a frustrated sigh, the Doctor glared at me. Shoulders sagging with the weight of his bitter defeat, he gestured the flashlight down the tunnel in front of him. "This way," he announced to us. Without another word, he stalked forward, leaving Tallulah and me (aka his unwanted tag alongs) behind to follow.

Sore loser.

* * *

Walking through dark, damp, endless sewers was becoming an annoyingly familiar activity, unfortunately.

As we walked and turned and walked through the tunnels, the Doctor remained silent. He still was brooding from losing our argument. It was Tallulah that finally decided to break through the uncomfortable silence that had consumed most of our 'adventure' so far.

"When you say "They've taken her", who's they exactly?" She asked, her eyes focused on the Doctor's back. "And who are you anyway? I never asked."

"Shh," the Doctor stated, being quite rude.

I rolled my eyes at him. Turning to Tallulah, I began to try to help her understand by answering her many inquiries. "He's the Doctor. He's also rude, not ginger, a sore loser, and can't drive worth a shit."

Tallulah gave me a thankful smile that also held some amusement. Still trying to get the Time Lord to speak, the singer continued with her questions, directing them all towards him. "A doctor? Really? Ma always said marry a doctor or a lawyer and you're made for life. Just my luck, finally found a doctor but he's into show tunes. Or someone else..." At that last suggestion, she looked meaningfully at me. I just rolled my eyes, knowing that it was _never _going to happen, no matter how many people thought and suggested it.

"Shh." The Doctor interrupted.

"Okay. Okay," she stated with a wave.

"Shh, shh, shh." He held out an arm in front of us to stop us. Slowly he inched forward, barely glancing around the corner. I stared at him curiously, trying to figure out what he was doing now. I even tried to see what he was staring at, but his arm kept me from moving any closer to catch a glimpse.

Tallulah apparently did not know what _shhh _meant as she kept right on talking. "I mean you're handsome and all—"

Her statement was interrupted by the Doctor clasping one hand on both our mouths and using them to also tug us back with him into a dimly lit alcove within the wall. His hand muffled Tallulah's surprised scream and my angered squeak. I glared up at the Doctor, debating on whether or not I should bite or lick his hand to get it off my mouth.

Suddenly, a noise echoed faintly off the curved walls. A small sound that was like a mechanical wheeze—sort of, it was hard to tell for sure. Despite its faintness, I could tell that it was growing closer and closer.

Instinctually, I tried to inch forward in order to hear and see better, but the Doctor used his hand still blocking my mouth to keep me back. He pressed his hand harder, forcing my body back into his. My body tensed at the feeling of his chest pressed to my back, the heat of him actually...pleasant in the dank atmosphere. Although, I wasn't happy about the fact the Doctor was trapping me like that. To get some form of revenge, I licked his hand.

He glanced down at me, his expression twisted with annoyance and disgust. I smirked against his hand.

The wheezing sound grew louder and closer. Both of us stopped our antics to see what exactly was down here, since I already had a feeling that it wasn't _just _the pig men.

It was made entirely out of metal with a dome rounding the top and half-globes studding the plates of the skirt-like base. The eye stalk protruding from the head swiveled around as the gunstick twitched, prepared to fire at any sign of danger.

It was a Dalek, in the flesh—or rather metal.

My eyes widened at the sight of it. I'd never seen one before; I only had memories of the horrid race, stolen from the Doctor's mind. His memories of the Daleks were the worst—always full of death, destruction, pain, and robotic cries of _exterminate_ followed soon after by the cries of the dying. Images of every battle the Doctor had fought against them seared through my mind, consuming my senses with the sensations, smell, and sounds of the Time War and the Battle of Canary Wharf. Every time the Doctor encountered his greatest and oldest enemy, so many people were lost. The last time he'd seen the Daleks had been at Canary Wharf where he lost Rose.

Remembering every horrible thing about the race of monsters caused absolute _terror _to flood my body. Everything felt cold and horrible. Any hope of the possibility of the Daleks not being involved with the pig-men and the disappearances, despite the origin of the green blob, was snuffed out like a candle in the wind.

Time seemed to have slowed down to an agonizing speed as the Dalek moved passed where we were poorly hidden. My heartbeat pounded in my ears during those seconds while fear of discovery tensed my body tight as a coil.

It passed by us without even a glance in our direction.

I released a heavy sigh of relief while the Doctor finally let Tallulah and me go. He stepped past us, back into the tunnel. Glaring at the Dalek as it turned a corner, he began to mutter softly, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no. They survived. They _always_ survive while I lose everything." He stated, his whole body tense with anger. I looked at the Time Lord sadly, understanding what he meant all too well.

"That metal thing?" Tallulah asked, completely naïve to the reason behind the suddenly tensed and wired atmosphere. "What was it?"

"It's called a Dalek," the Doctor actually answered her. "And it's not just metal, it's alive."

Tallulah _laughed, _"You're kidding me."

Both the Doctor and I turned to glare at her, I even added in a meaningfully look that pretty much said _don't even, just fucking don't._ She didn't understand the awful severity of the situation. I didn't know whether to pity or be envious of her. "Does it look like I'm kidding?" He nearly hissed at her. Instantly, the woman sobered, seeing the pure fury in his eyes and warning in mine. _Smart girl,_ I couldn't help to think. "Inside that shell is a creature born to hate, whose only thought is to destroy everything and everyone that isn't a Dalek too. It won't stop until it's killed every human being alive," he explained, hatred pouring from his tone as he talked about the Daleks.

"But if it's not a human being, that kinda implies it's from outer space," Tallulah tried to smile, tried to brush off everything he'd said as if he was joking. Unfortunately, this was no joking time. The Doctor and I just looked at her again; the message seemed to get across to her that time. "Yet again, that's a "no" with the kidding. Boy…" she said. "Well, what's it doin' here, in New York?"

"That's what we have to find out," I told her. "And I sure as hell can tell you, what ever those things are up to is connected with those pig-men and the disappearances."

The Doctor corrected quickly, "That's what _I _have to find out." He grabbed my arm and began to marched away, harshly dragging me along. Automatically, I began to fight him, struggling, yanking my arm to get him to let go, and yelling out profanities at him which included and where not limited to _what the hell, you son of a bitch, let the fuck go, shit, _etc. As the Doctor dragged me, Tallulah followed along, making it clear to me why the Doctor decided to grab me. He knew I wouldn't willing follow. "Every second you're down here, you're in danger. I'm taking you both back right now." The Time Lord stated.

_Are we really gonna go through this again, _I thought. "You will fucking not," I hissed at him, trying to let my feet drag to slow him down. "Stop it! I'm not leaving you down here, especially now! Not with the Daleks here too!"

Actually, every instinct of mine screamed at me to not be a good-as-dead idiot and get the hell out of there and far away from the Daleks. I will admit I was scared shitless —they terrifying as fuck to me. That terror I had towards them was enough to send me running to the hills, but for once I was not gonna be a coward and that was because of the Doctor.

I couldn't leave him, not now with revelation that the Daleks were involved. Donna Noble had been right —the Doctor needed someone, especially when he was facing his oldest enemies. Without someone there to stop him, who knows what would happen. The fury of the Oncoming Storm was even more terrifying to me than the Daleks. Although I knew for a fact I was not the ideal companion to be there for him (like Martha), I was better than no one —even with all my very obvious flaws.

The only thing that gave my scared mind some peace and shut up my screaming instincts was the fact that if I did not listen to the Doctor and stayed with him instead of run (which clearly was the safest option) he would do every to protect everyone, especially Martha and me. He of course would be pissed at me for not listening, but he would still protect me. The clear as day fact of that turned my resolve into immobile, stubborn stone.

"So," I stubbornly stated to him as we turned another corner, "if you have a problem with that, you can take it and shove it up your Time Lordy ass."

Hearing my response, he rounded to me and opened his mouth to reply, only no words came out. Instead Tallulah's startled scream screeched through the air. Both of us turned our heads to see what had frightened the singer. It was another pig man. I jumped slightly, startled and frightened at the sight. Although, I also felt confused because soon as he saw us he scrambled and tried to get away—as if he was scared of _us. _

Letting me go, the Doctor quickly approached the pig man, backing the creature into a corner. "Where's Martha?" He demanded, shinning the bright flashlight into its face. "What have you done with her? What have you done with Martha?"

"I didn't take her," the pig man hastily replied. What? I looked at the pig man in confusion and surprise. From what I had briefly saw of the creatures before I ran away was that they no longer held any ounce of humanity they'd once possessed. Instead of talking, they grunted and squealed. Seeing this particular pig man talk was an abnormality. I couldn't help but wonder if he could still talk, what else was human?

"Can you remember your name?" The Doctor asked, looking at the man critically. I walked towards the pig man slowly, coming up to stand beside the Doctor and squinting through the dim lighting to see more of the man.

"Don't look at me," he stated.

Tallulah, not as scared as before, moved forward slowly. "Do you know where she is?"

"Stay back!" The pig man cried out suddenly, waving a hand at Tallulah. "Don't look at me!"

"What happened to you?" The Doctor questioned. Both of us moved closer, and the pig man turned his face towards us. It was plain to see that his face had been altered like the others, but he looked more human than pig. He only had a few characteristics of a pig— a small snout, elongated ears, little tusks protruding from his mouth. Everything else was very human.

"They made me a monster," he answered quietly.

"Who did?"

"The masters."

"The Daleks," the Doctor corrected, his jaw tightening slightly. I glanced at him in concern and understanding. Like him, I was pissed too after learning that the Daleks where behind everything —stealing people away from their lives to use them in twisted experiments that took the humanity out of them. Fury sparked angrily within me at the thought of what they had done. It was wrong and horrible. You just don't do that to a person, use them and experiment on them like that. It was one of the worst things you could _ever _do to someone. "Why?"

The man explained, "They needed slaves. They needed slaves to steal more people so they created us. Part animal, part human. I escaped before they got my mind, but it was still too late."

"Do you know what happened to Martha?"

"They took her. It's my fault. She was following me."

"Were you in the theatre?" Tallulah suddenly interrupted.

"I never," he started, but left the sentence incomplete. Reluctantly, he said, "Yes."

"Why?" She continued to persist. "Why were you there?"

"I never wanted you to see me like this." That response surprised me slightly and I narrowed my eyes at him in concentration. Why was he so concerned with what _Tallulah _thought of him? Why was he concerned if _she _saw him? The way he worried about it reminded me of how a boy would worry about what he looked like before taking the girl of his dreams to prom. _Oh..._I suddenly thought as the pieces clicked together. _Oh no. Oh my god. _I looked at the Doctor, since he'd probably worked everything out already, for confirmation. My hope of being wrong about this was clear in my simply nodded, confirming what I didn't want to be true.

The pig man was Lazlo. Sweet, kind Lazlo Tallulah was head over heels in love with. Their love story was not as perfect as it seemed. I couldn't help but glance at the couple with pity and sadness for them. It wasn't right for them to be caught up in the Daleks' evil plan like this.

Tallulah was none the wiser to the fact her beloved boyfriend was standing in front of her. She kept asking questions, wanting to know the awful, awful truth."Why me? What do I gotta do with this?" _Oh everything, _I silently answered. "Were you following me? Is that why you were there?"

He turned to face her, the shadows of the sewer blocking his face from her sight. "Yes."

She looked horrified by the answer. Watching him with wide, confused blue eyes, Tallulah started to approach him slowly and cautiously. "Who are you?"

"I was lonely."

"Who are you?"

"I needed to see you."

"Who are _you_?" Her voice wavered with emotion as she stood before him.

He hesitated with an answer. Just as I thought he was about to admit who he was, he said, "I'm sorry." Then, he turned away, looking like he was about to run far, far away from the woman he loved.

Tallulah was not going to let him get away that easily. "No, wait," she grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop. He remained stubborn, keeping his head turned away. "Let me look at you." Placing her hands on his shoulders, she moved him back until light from the city overhead shined down onto him, illuminating his features and revealing to her his identity. "Lazlo? My Lazlo?" Tallulah asked softly, her wide eyes brimming with barely there tears as they traced over each distorted feature of his face. "Oh, what have they done to you?" Her voice broke, completely fractured with onslaught of messy emotion—sadness, fear, pain, horror.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, "So sorry."

"Lazlo, can you show me where they are?" The Doctor asked, stepping forward. Tallulah removed her hands from Lazlo's neck to cover her mouth, trying to keep back the sobs.

"They'll kill you," Lazlo turned to glance at the Time Lord.

"If I don't stop them, they'll kill everyone," he replied.

Lazlo glanced back at Tallulah, almost searching her for approval. Removing her hands from her face, she gave him a watery smile. "Then follow me," Lazlo stated. He walked back down the tunnel we came from, the Doctor right on his heels. I went to follow, but didn't as I noticed how Tallulah remained still, like the shock of discovering Lazlo like that had rooted her feet to the ground.

I approached the distraught singer, placing my hand on her shoulder in an attempt to be comforting. I didn't know what to do to help her, unused to how to act around others in certain situations considering how I'd woken up from a deep coma with only few memories a few hours or days ago. (It was hard to tell how long ago the hospital and Judoon upon the moon had been. I guess time really flies when you're running for your life). Sure there were some useful information left in my selective memory, but unfortunately there was no personal memory of me comforting someone in a situation like this included in that selection. And my heart broke for Tallulah and her situation, especially since the only person she had for comfort right now was me, who was about as helpful as shit.

But, I did try, knowing that Tallulah needed _someone _at least. I kept thinking back to how Martha has comforted Tallulah when the singer broke down in her dressing room, looking at the moment for some help.

"Tallulah..." I stated softly, scavenging my brain for something to say that wasn't a curse or wasn't completely useless and insensitive like _are you okay. _

"You were right," she admitted with a sniffle. "Today _was _the day I found him." Remembering the comment I gave her in attempt to keep her hopes up made me wince. _Damn, that's some irony, _I thought and wisely did not say.

"Yeah, that was...unexpected," I lamely stated.

"Yeah, getting your boyfriend turned into a pig is _really _unexpected," she muttered bitterly. Turning to me, she looked at me pleadingly. "Anya, ya know the Doctor, he's a clever kinda guy. Do you think he can fix Lazlo?"

I bit my lip, looking at her and her bitterly hopeful expression. I didn't know what to say. Should I try to make her feel better and lie by saying yes? Or be merciful and tell her the truth that there probably wasn't a way for even the Doctor to undo what had been done to Lazlo. Weighing my choices, I thought about how I would personally be pissed if someone lied to protect me. "Tallulah, I honestly don't know," I said to her as gently as I could while rubbing her shoulder. "There might be a chance...but probably not. I don't think even the Doctor can change Lazlo back. I'm so sorry."

The tears in her eyes swelled as she looked at me sadly, hopelessly. The expression on the usually happy, feisty performer hurt to see. "So he's gotta stay like a pig his whole life? My boyfriend's a pig. Just my luck. What am I supposed to do _now _with Lazlo looking like that?"

"You keep loving him," I answered with a serious look. I placed my hands on both of her shoulders and forced her to look at me. "You keep hoping, you keep looking forward to the future. Like you've always done. I know this sucks. It really really fucking _sucks,_ but you have to look at what's good about this. It's lame advice, but it's what you need to do. It could have been worse, actually. Lazlo could have not escaped them before the process completed, but you know what—he did, just cause he wanted to get back to you. And because of that, he still kept most of himself intact. He's _still _Lazlo under those piggy features. He is _still _the stagehand who told you, you were amazing after the first rehearsal. He is _still _the guy that walked you home every night and wanted to take you home to meet his mother. He is _still _completely and hopelessly in love with you. And looking like a pig will not change that for him. Why would you stop loving him because of that?"

Tallulah blinked at me, remaining silent for a few moments while she took in everything I had said to her. Taking a breath, she finally said slowly, "You're right. That's still my Lazlo and I still love him to bits, even with the tusks. It will take a while to get used to...but who cares? I don't." I smiled softly at her, nodding in a agreement.

"That is great, Tallulah," I told her. "And...even if the Doctor can't change Lazlo back, he'll make the Daleks pay for what they did to him, and he'll make sure it won't happen to anyone else."

She nodded, wiping her wet eyes with the heel of her hand. "Thank you, Anya." With that said, she hugged me tightly.

Instinctually I stiffened at the contact, realizing since I'd woken up I had not been hugged, a fact that prompt me to start searching my mind for recollection of being hugged before that. Briefly a memory fluttered through my mind and I could remember a warmth, an oddly familiar scent, an emotion, a brush of fabric, a pair of thin arms encasing my body and pulling me closer. I could remember someone holding me, so loving and reverently. Before I could catch the memory and study it more intently to fill in the blanks (like _where, why, and more importantly who?_) the memory scurried away and faded into the dark.

_Damnit._

Despite the disappointment of yet another dead-end in the case of my abnormal amnesia, I hugged Tallulah back and smiled at the feeling. Hugging was very nice. After a few moments, I broke the embrace and stated, "We better catch up to the boys. They're useless with out us."

She laughed with a nod of agreement. We hurried down the tunnel, taking a right in the direction Lazlo led the Doctor. Thankfully they had not gotten that far and where easy to find, hiding behind a corner and sneakily peering around. Tallulah stayed towards the back while I moved past towards the Doctor to see what the Time Lord was looking at. More pig-men surrounded a group of people in the middle of the tunnel while a Dalek stood to the side, screeching out orders in its robotic, emotionless voice.

"Oh my god," I whispered as I spotted two every familiar people among the human crowd. "It's Frank and Martha." Seeing them, alive and looking pretty well for being kidnapped by experiments, sent a wave of relief through me. Some of that soul-crushing guilt finally let up and I, for once, did not feel like a completely horrible person because of this new knowledge.

"You will form a line," the Dalek ordered. "Move." The pig men rushed forward and began to push the humans back against the wall, squealing and grunting the whole time.

"Just do what it says, everyone, okay?" Martha shouted, glancing at the humans. "Just obey."

"Go Martha," I muttered under my breath. She was a smart medical student, wisely knowing that it would be better to listen instead of fight, especially considering the Dalek could murder them all with out a thought.

The Dalek said, "The female is wise. Obey!" My stomach twisted and I frowned, not really liking the fact that a _Dalek _agreed with me.

A second Dalek rolled in from around the corner. "Report," it demanded.

"These are strong specimens. They will help the Dalek cause."

Straining my ears, I managed to Martha state the word 'Dalek' questioningly. She probably recognized the word. It wasn't too long ago when we were sitting in Pharmacy Town on New Earth with the Doctor telling us about Gallifrey and the Time War with the song of a revive city rising around us.

"What is the status of the Final Experiment?"

"The Dalekanium is in place. The energy conductor is now complete."

"Then I will extract prisoners for selection."

Hearing the Daleks converse, I frowned and glanced questioningly at the Doctor. What were they talking about? What exactly was this Final Experiment? What were we going to do about it? The Doctor looked at me, his expression saying _just wait, I might have plan. _Nodding, I turned back to watch the Daleks.

A pig man moved forward, grabbing onto the black man first in line and holding him still when he struggled. The Dalek wheeled forward, its plunger extending into the man's face. "Intelligence scan. Initiate. Reading brain waves." After a moment of he plunger twisting, the Dalek reported, "Low intelligence."

"You calling me stupid?" The man asked, offended.

"This one will become a pig slave."

The pig slave began to shove the man away while he protested and struggled, but it was pointless. "No, let go of me! I'm not becoming one of them!" His screams faded as he was pulled away.

The Dalek just moved onto the next person to scan.

Lazlo explained to us quietly, "They're divided into two groups: high intelligence and low intelligence. The low intelligence are taken to become pig slaves like me."

"Well, that's not fair," Tallulah cried out too loud.

"Shh," the Doctor shushed her and I gave her a look that expressed my thoughts of _being quieter, do _**_you _**_want to be captured and be a part of the Dalek's 'final experiment'?_

Thankfully, Tallulah got the message, and when she spoke again, she was whispering to Lazlo. "You're the smartest guy I ever dated."

"And the others?" The Doctor questioned.

"They're taken to the laboratory," Lazlo answered.

"But why? What for?"

"I don't know. The masters only call it the Final…Experiment."

We all turned back to look around the corner where the Dalek had just declared Frank possessed 'superior intelligence.' I was very relieved by that since it meant Frank wasn't going to be taken away again to become a pig slave just after we'd found him. The Dalek moved in front of Martha, stinking the plunger into her face. "Intelligence scan. Initiate. " She glanced at it with fearful eyes as it twisted and spun, reading her intelligence. "Superior intelligence. This one will become part of the Final Experiment."

"You can't just experiment on people!" Martha cried angrily. She tried to lurch forward, but a pig slave held her back ."It's insane! It's inhuman!"

"We are not human," the Dalek replied. It rolled forward, announcing, "Prisoners of high intelligence will be taken to the transgenic laboratory." Both Daleks continued to move forward, coming closer towards us.

"Look out, they're moving!" The Doctor warned. He and I scrambled back, pressing ourselves against the gritty wall in attempt to blend into the shadows. Lazlo and Tallulah moved backwards, beginning to leave from the way we came.

"Doctor. Doctor! Quickly!" Lazlo hurriedly said and gestured for him to follow.

"I'm not going. I've got an idea," the Doctor explained. "You go, _all _of you," he glanced down at me. I stubbornly raised my chin to glare at him in the eye.

Before I could angrily reply to remind him about how I was not going to leave him, Tallulah said, tugging on Lazlo's arms and looking at me, "Lazlo, Anya, c'mon!"

The former stagehand turned to her, "Can you remember the way?"

"Yeah, I think so," she answered in confusion at what he was trying to say.

"Then go. Please."

"But Lazlo, you gotta come with me."

"Where would I go? Tallulah, I'm beggin' you, save yourself. Just run. Just go. Go." He pushed her away, and with a devastated look, Tallulah actually did listen. She left, running back down the tunnel away.

"Go with her," the Doctor ordered me.

"Really? Are we going to do this _again?_" I asked, getting really tired of his pathetic attempts to get me to leave.

"Yes, until you listen to me."

"Not happening," I said with a scoff and a narrowed glare. "You can keep trying to get me to leave but it's not gonna work. You don't make my decisions for me and my decision is to stay here with _you_. You don't need to be alone and I need to help save Frank. He's down here because of me, and I'm not leaving him again. So that's that."

The Doctor glared at me for a moment before he sighed heavily in exasperation. He mumbled to himself, something that sounded like _stubborn woman, _and _just needs to listen. _I rolled my eyes. Lazlo rejoined us just as the Daleks began to pass by. We all pressed back into the wall, watching, tense with anticipation, as they moved. We waited nervously for when the Daleks turned their eyes just to the right to see us.

Thankfully, they didn't.

They turned to the left and began to roll down another tunnel.

My body relaxed, but only for a brief moment because the next second the Doctor was hurrying around the corner and into the line of humans being led away to the Daleks' laboratory. Lazlo and I quickly followed him.

"Just keep walking," the Doctor whispered to Martha as he came up beside her. Lazlo stuck to the edges with the other pig men and I took a place beside Frank. Seeing me, his face lit up; the smile he wore caused me to softly grin as well.

"I'm so glad to see you," Martha said to him.

"Yeah, well, you can kiss me later," the Time Lord stated, "You too, Frank, if you want."

Frank shook his head with a small smile. "Frank, I'm so glad you are okay," I said quietly as we were led through the tunnels. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," he answered in his thick accent that could have sounded like a choir of angels to me because of his answer. "A little startled by the Daleks and pig slaves."

I nodded in understand, pausing for a moment. Finally I licked my lips and began to say, "Frank...I am so so sorry that I let you go. It's my fault you're down here."

He looked at me, almost confused, like he couldn't believe the guilt that had been crushing me ever since his hand had slipped from mine. "Why are ya apologizin'? It's not your fault, the pig men were too strong."

Despite his words, the crushing guilt still remained—not quite as prevalent as before, but it was there, hurting like an irritated wound. Our conversation did not get the chance to continue since the pig men were leading us into what was obviously the laboratory the Dalek had mentioned.

The laboratory was huge, startling so. I had to wonder how the Daleks built it. Probably with tools and slaves, which was really how everything was built now a days, like the Empire State Building. The lab had high ceilings with concrete pillars scattered about, keeping the structure from collapsing under the weight of the earth above. Bright lights dotted the pillars and lamps stood along the rows for proper and nearly blinding lightning. There were large bronze circular machines throughout the room with screens showcasing all sorts of strange readings I didn't understand since I didn't have the intelligence or knowledge of alien languages to read them. Beakers and tubes of chemicals burned and covered the tables spread through out the room. My eyes widened at the burst of fire shooting into the air in a corner. Damn, what kind of experiments where the Daleks doing?

The pig men forced us into a line towards the side. A Dalek rolled past us, heading to the back of the room where some more Daleks stood. Although something was clearly wrong with one of them. The black one in the center seemed to be shaking and wisps of smoke abundantly leaked from its metal casing.

"Report," one Dalek commanded as it rolled up to the others.

"Dalek Sec is in the final stage of evolution," another reported.

"Scan him. Prepare for birth."

The Doctor questioned quietly, "Evolution?"

"What's wrong with old Charlie boy over there?" Martha asked.

"Ask them."

"What me? Don't be daft." She scoffed, and then look towards me, suggestion I be the one to ask. I hastily shook my head. Hell no. I'm not drawing the Daleks attention to myself. Nope.

"I don't exactly want to get noticed," the Doctor explained, "Ask them what's going on."

Martha took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she was about to do. Hesitantly, she stepped away from the line and turned towards our captors. "Daleks, I demand to be told. What is this," she paused as a Dalek wheeled in front of her, "final experiment? Report!"

"You will bear witness," the Dalek answered.

"To what?"

"This is the dawn of a new age."

She glanced back at the Doctor and then the Dalek in confusion. "What does that mean?"

"We are the only four Daleks," it explained. _That's for a good reason,_ I thought. "So the species must evolve a life outside the shell. The Children of Skaro must walk again."

The Dalek moved, parting with the others to reveal the black one shaking. The blue light of the eyestalk dimmed and then died to black. A mechanic hiss sounded and the plates of the metal armor began to part, opening with streams of smoke shooting through the air. A figure hunched and curled in on itself uncomfortably in the bottom part of the shell. With a groan, it reached out its hands and began it pull itself out. Making it to its feet, he began to stand slowly, revealing itself as the abandoned casing closed.

Martha stumbled a little as she backed up, away from it. "_God_," I whispered horrified, seeing it fully for the first time.

It was some sort of hybrid of alien and maybe human? I couldn't tell really, but it certainty did not resemble any human I'd ever seen. For the most part its body was covered in a still smoking, dirtied, and dark pin-strip suit that looked eerily familiar. It hands were thick and made of discolored, slimy, wrinkled skin. The worse part of the creature was it's face. Six tentacles squirmed and protruded from it. The top of it's head was a partially exposed brain. One blue eye rested in the center, watching the world around it.

_God,_ it was awful.

"What is it?" Martha asked, hr voice shaking with fear and horror.

The thing began to speak, slowly and not used to talking just yet. "I am a human Dalek. I am your future."

Hearing that I automatically stated, "Hell no."


End file.
